Let's Stay Together
by IluvMonkeys
Summary: Sequel to Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. The team has to try to learn to stick together as the trials and tribulations of dealing with death threats, miscarriages, misunderstandings, and episodes of careless frivolity threaten to tear them apart.
1. Chapter 1

Let's Stay Together

Summary: Sequel to Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. The team has to learn to stick together as the trials and tribulations of dealing with death threats, miscarriages, misunderstandings, and episodes of careless frivolity threaten to tear them a part. Can easily be read on its own, but will be better understood if preceded by the previous installment.

Disclaimer: I still don't own them, despite my best efforts ^_^

**A/N: Okay so this is the first chapter of the sequel, but it's more of an intro, to get a feel for the ladies' mindsets. I'll do a double update day today and get the real first chapter up later today. This one will probably have some more lighthearted moments than the first one, but there will be lots of drama too! Anyway, I hope you guys like this one as well. :D**

Jenny exited her doctor's office with a sigh, a prescription for prenatal vitamins in hand. She rummaged around in her purse, and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the familiar number.

"_Director Shepard's office," Cynthia answered in her normal business tone._

"Cynthia."

"_Oh Director. How did your appointment go?"_

"Just fine Cynthia, thank you for asking. I think I'll take the rest of the day though."

"_Yes ma'am. You don't have anything that can't be pushed back a day or two."_

"Good. Thank you Cynthia."

"_Any time Director. Have a good afternoon."_

"Thank you. You do the same Cynthia. You can go home after you rearrange my schedule."

"_Thank you ma'am."_

Jenny ended the call with a sigh. It had been two weeks since she had taken the pregnancy test, and she had just received the confirmation that she had not wanted; She was not ready for another baby, by any means. Albeit she had not been ready for the other two either, but the twins were only six months, and she still had no idea, even remotely, where she stood with Gibbs. _Gibbs. She still had to tell Gibbs. How would he react? God! She hoped he didn't propose._

Right then, she really wanted a nice, healthy glass of bourbon, or at least a cup of coffee, but she was still nursing the twins, and of course, there was the news she had just received, so a big bowl of ice cream would have to suffice. She made a sharp right into the Cold Stone Creamery parking lot, and hopped out of her car, locking the doors behind her.

She yanked the door open, lifting her sunglasses to her head; the sudden burst of cold air, sending a chill down her spine. She hugged herself, in an attempt to hold onto some of the warmth, as she walked up to the counter. There, she was greeted by a young brunette, "Hi! Welcome to Cold Stone! What can I get you?"

Jenny scanned the menu quickly, selecting things as they jumped out at her, "Um…can I have coffee ice cream, snickers, chocolate chips…fudge, brownies, and chocolate pretzels," she said, thinking to herself that she was definitely pregnant, before adding as an after thought, "Oh! And gummy bears, and raspberries too." _Gummy bears and raspberries? Why the hell does that sound good?_

The brunette smiled, with a "Sure," punching her order into the cash register, and added, "How far along are you?" looking back up at her.

"Excuse me?" Jenny didn't think she was showing already. She was only eight weeks.

The girl assumed a look that was a mixture of shock and fear, hoping she had not offended the red head. "You are pregnant aren't you?" she asked hastily.

"Yes, but…How did you…?"

"How did I know" she finished for her, smiling again. At Jenny's slight nod she clarified, "My big sister just had her baby last month. She was always in here ordering weird combinations. So, I'm guessing you want the biggest size right?"

Jenny grinned and nodded, "Add a chocolate dipped waffle bowl too. With sprinkles."

Ziva had taken the day off, and called in sick. She had received no protest from Gibbs, as he had seen her for the past two weeks. She needed the day to herself, time to think. She had never wanted children. She was not sure that she did, even now. She was not fit to be a mother. She slit throats; she did not bake cookies. She was a killer. It was what she did, and she had no qualms about it, but she had never thought that children should be exposed to such things. Technically, she was still Mossad, and her father would see her unborn child in the same way he had seen her; as he had seen Thali, and Ari, a killer-in-training. She had always promised herself, that if she were to have children, one day, her child would have a normal life, a safe life. They would be safe from bombs, and Hamas attacks. They would not fear for their lives every night when they went to sleep. They would have a childhood.

She looked in the mirror, taking in her flat stomach, finding it hard to believe that there was a life in there. Someone was growing inside her. She had been to the doctor last week, and he had confirmed what the home pregnancy test had told her. She was nine weeks already. Tony had been so happy when she had come home, a bottle of prenatal vitamins in hand. She had not had the heart to tell him that she was not sure if she was going to keep it. She would have to talk to him though. She only had three weeks to decide.

She sighed, pulling her tangled, brown locks into a ponytail, and padded into the kitchen to start lunch.

**A/N: Review please! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay so it took me much longer to get started on this than I thought it would. I had things to do today, and this sorta got pushed to the bottom of my list, but I still made it before 12:00 lol, 11:55. But anywaay, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and just FYI, I plan to carry my shout out rule over to this story as well :D**

Jenny walked into her town home, slamming the door behind her. Noemi came around the corner, confusion written all over her face, "Senora you are home early."

"I know," Jenny sighed, dropping her purse on the foyer table.

"You do not sound very happy. Did your appointment not go well?"

"No. It went fine."

"Well then what is it Senora?"

Jenny took a seat at the bottom of the stairwell without a sound before speaking, "I'm pregnant again."

"Oh but that is a good thing, no?"

"I'm not ready for another baby Noemi. I only ever planned on having one, maybe. And now I've got three of them back to back."

"Oh it will work out Senora. Do not worry."

"I hope so. Gibbs is coming over tonight. I'll have to tell him then."

"Oh si, but he will understand. He will be happy Senora. You will see."

Jenny smiled softly, with a distant, "Yea." Then, looking back to Noemi, she abruptly changed the subject, "How were they today?'

"Oh very good. Not much fussing or crying. I think Leilah is growing out of the colic."

"That would be wonderful," Jenny laughed, and suddenly noticed the breathtaking aromas filling her house. "Noemi, what is that?"

"What Senora?"

"That smell," Jenny said, walking into the kitchen, picking out different scents but not quite able to place it. She smelled chicken, and spice, chilies maybe, onions, and garlic.

"Dinner Senora," Noemi said, confused, wondering why her boss was reacting so strangely. She had made the dishes before, albeit not together, but she had made them.

"What are you making? It smells delicious."

"It is just bean soup and chicken with rice, and the drink is just a smoothie. I made the bread today as well. I have made them before. "

Jenny was about to pass her daughter, proceeding into the kitchen; an unusual occurrence, when she was stopped by a sound from the play yard. "Ma!" Leilah whined, her face turned down in a frown. Her mother never went anywhere when she got home without speaking to her.

Jenny's head snapped to her daughter in shock. "What did you say?" she breathed, and Leilah smiled at having regained her mother's attention.

She clapped her hands and giggled, rocking around in her play yard. "Ma! Ma! Ma!"

Jenny was by her daughter in an instant, lifting her from the play pen, a genuine grin on her face for the first time that day. "Yes that's right baby! I'm your mommy!" she praised her daughter, sending Leilah into another fit of giggles. She was proud to have done something well, and grabbed her mother's face with slobbery fingers. "Eema!"

Jenny's smiled widened at hearing her daughter starting to use two of the three languages spoken to her. "Yes smart girl! I'm eema too."

Noemi, stood at a distance, smiling at the pair, not wanting to intrude on the moment. She had already noticed that the little girl was smart, and very advanced for her age; both of the twins were, but it seemed that Leilah was always the one to lead, and Jacob would follow in her footsteps sometime later. When she had started to crawl, Jacob had done so as well, only a week later. She had no doubt he would be talking soon as well. She had commented on it to Jenny several times, mentioning that she should have them tested. As far as she knew, her boss had yet to do so, but they were still very young.

Three hours later, Jenny stood in the doorway of the nursery, smiling, watching as Gibbs put the twins down for the night. He always was great with kids. He looked happy, andshe didn't know how he would react to her telling him another one was on the way, but she knew he would find out if she didn't; and she knew exactly how he would react to that. She listened to him speaking softly to Jacob, and blurted, "I'm pregnant again." It was soft, but she was sure he had heard her when his body tensed and he paused in his speech.

He turned to her, an unreadable mix of emotions in his eyes. She tugged her lip between her teeth, waiting for him to say something, anything. It seemed like an eternity before he walked past her without a word, and she gasped, willing herself not to cry. _Stupid pregnancy hormones. _she had expected a hug, kisses, happiness; or the opposite, screaming, yelling, anger; but this, leaving without a word, this she had not expected, by any means.

**A/N: Aaah! Gibbs is being a jerk! Hehe but no really it'll get better, don't worry just review!…please :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Kay so like I said, ten reviews = shoutout, so here goes**

**Sm1leyFac3s, NilesLover101, lachildress, greeklilly, Prettycrazy, Paige Joy, pirate-princess1, left my heart in Paris, HuddyJibbsAddict, and basket-case1880, thank you so much for your reviews. You've given me my latest smiile of the day. :)**

Jenny woke in the middle of the night to the twins crying, which was, by now unusual. They were starting to sleep through the night, and only certain things would wake them. She rolled out of bed, her bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors as she made her way down the hall. As she reached the nursery, she realized the door was ajar. She was positive she had shut it tight before going to bed, and her nerves kicked into overdrive. She pushed the door open, slowly, hoping it would not creak, but it was an old house and the door squeaked, alerting her intruder of her presence. As he spun to face her, she grabbed the lamp from the table by the door, bashing the dark figure over the head with it. The intruder lifelessly fell to the floor, and she flipped the light switch, illuminating the room in a soft, yellow light. Upon seeing his face, she gasped.

Lying unconscious on the nursery floor was Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a sizeable gash running down the side of his face, that looked like it started beyond the hair line. "Shit!" she hissed, dropping to her knees beside him, taking his head in her hands. "Jethro? Jethro please wake up." she called to him, trying to get some of the shards of glass out of his cut. She grabbed a blanket that had fallen to the floor, holding it against his head in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Her mind was running a mile a minute, and she couldn't think with Leilah's increasing screams in the background, mingling with Jacob's softer ones. She finally snapped and screamed, "Goddammit Leilah! Shut up!"

Jenny gasped, immediately regretting her words, even as both babies abruptly stopped their wailing. "Mommy's sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean it." As Leilah and Jacob resumed screaming, this time louder than before, Jenny started to cry, overwhelmed. She rested her head in her hands, and realized too late that they were covered in his blood, and she had by then smeared it all over her cheeks. In a small window of clarity, she thought to call 911, and ran to her bedroom, grabbing her phone from her bedside table.

"_911 operator. What is your emergency?"_

Jenny answered in hysterics, swiping at her tears with the sleeve of her robe, "I'm at 3028 N ST in Georgetown. My boyfriend is unconscious. I hit him in the head with a lamp because I thought he was an intruder, and he was in my children's room. He's bleeding a lot, and there're still glass shards in the cut. Look I'm the director of NCIS, just please send an ambulance out here." she pleaded in a rush of words.

"_Alright ma'am, you need to calm down before you have a panic attack. Is anyone else hurt? You, or your children?"_

"No. Just him. He's an NCIS Agent," she stressed, growing more frustrated with the woman's questions, despite knowing they were necessary, "Just please send someone out here."

"_I sent an ambulance as soon as you gave me your location. Don't worry. They should be arriving soon. But I want you to stay on the line with me until they arrive."_

"Thank you."

Sure enough, three minutes later, the piercing wail of the ambulance siren alerted her of their presence, long before the EMT's arrived on her doorstep. She stood waiting for their thumping on her front door, and swung the door open the moment she heard it.

The EMT's were surrounded by the screaming wails of the babies the moment they stepped into the dark, otherwise silent house. They took in the disheveled appearance of the hysterical red head at the door, what looked like smeared handprints of blood covering her cheeks, were streaked with tear tracks; her hair and clothes in disarray, smeared sporadically with the red liquid.

The female EMT stopped in front of Jenny, grabbing her gently by the shoulders, looking her over, as her partner headed up the stairs. "Listen to me. Is any of this blood yours?"

"No," Jenny shook her head and whispered, not trusting her voice, "It's all his."

She was about to say something to try to comfort the older red head, when she was interrupted by her partner's stressed voice, "Cass! Get up here!"

She ran up the stairs, following her partner's voice into the blue and green room, gasping at the sight before her. Her partner was trying to get an unconscious, silver haired man onto a stretcher. The man had blood trickling down the side of his face, quite plainly from the gash on his head. It looked about three inches long, and almost as deep. There was blood everywhere. It covered the floor by his head. It was splattered five feet from a broken lamp, the lamp itself dripping in it. There were shards of green glass covering the floor, half of them tinted red as well.

She was pulled from her reverie by her partner's angry, aggravated voice, "You gonna help or just stand there?"

She took in his flashing eyes, and dropped into a squat, lifting the other end of the stretcher. Trying to redeem herself, she asked the red headed woman, standing by the white crib, "How long has he been unconscious?"

"Ten minutes? I don't know," Jenny replied, running a hand through her hair, no longer caring what got in her hair, or smeared her face.

"Okay. Are you riding?" the male EMT asked, as they made their way out of the room.

Jenny shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes. "I can't," she said, motioning to the still screaming babies.

He nodded in understanding, before descending the stairs, yelling behind him, "We're taking him to Bethesda if you want to see him."

The door slammed, and Jenny allowed her emotions to overwhelm her once more. She cried, resting a hand on her still flat stomach, the other hand wrapped so tightly around the stairwell railing that her knuckles were turning white. She felt her stomach drop, as her breathing grew more labored, and her eyes fluttered closed. Releasing her grip on the railing, gravity pulled her toppling down the stairs, leaving her in a heap at the bottom.

**A/N: And the cliffhangers are back. Mwahaha! :D **

**Don't mind me. I've had far too much caffeine and sugar already.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Double updates! :) Lol enjoy!**

Two hours later, Noemi slid her key into the lock. She was always at Jenny's house at 0600 every morning, without fail, so that her boss could get ready for work while she took care of the twins. She entered the house, hearing the twins screaming from upstairs, and flipped on the lights. She immediately got the feeling that something was wrong. Jenny never let the twins cries reach that point, and she had usually turned the lights on by now.

She rounded the corner to the stairwell, and gasped, crossing her chest at the sight before her, sending up a silent prayer. Jenny lay at the foot of the steps, her left arm bent at an odd angle, her face and night clothes smeared in blood. Her red stained hands were almost opposite each other, one by her head, the other resting on her stomach. She let her purse drop to the floor, and ran to her boss, remembering her words from the previous day, _I'm pregnant again. _What had happened last night after she'd left? Where was Senor Gibbs? Kneeling next to Jenny, Noemi took her boss' head in her hands, trying to rouse her, "Senora? Senora? Wake up. Jenny! you must wake up!" When still, Jenny gave no signs of responding, her body falling limply in Noemi's hands, the house keeper grabbed her cell phone from her purse, dialing the emergency number.

"_911 operator. What is your emergency?"_

Noemi answered, running up the stairs, her accent growing more pronounced in hysteria, "My boss. She is Director of NCIS. I come in this morning and she is unconscious. She is covered in blood. I do not know what happened. Please send help! "

"_Alright ma'am do you know the address?"_

"Yes of course. 3028 N ST in Georgetown."

"_Yes ma'am. They're on their way. Is anyone else hurt?"_

"No. No, just Senora Shepard."

"_Don't worry. They should be there soon. Just stay on the line with me until they arrive."_

"Yes. I will," she stopped mid sentence, gasping, a look of shock and terror on her face. "Ay dios mio!" she breathed, the phone sliding from her grip, shattering into pieces upon impact with the hardwood floor. Recovering from her bout of shock almost immediately, she ran to the screaming and red-faced children. The broken cell phone lay forgotten on the floor as she lifted them from their cribs, shushing them, thinking they must have been crying for hours. She knew that she needed to get them out of that room, blood covering everything. The must have been terrified.

She decided to call their father and dashed to Jenny's room, the twins in her arms. Grabbing the house phone from its console, she searched through the directory, selecting Gibbs' name. Soon, she heard a shrill ringing coming from down the hall, and followed it dreading what she would find. Keeping the twins' backs turned to the room, she followed the sound, proceeding to the door of the nursery, finding Gibbs' phone lighting up on the floor. She inhaled deeply, trying to exorcise the thoughts running through her mind. He would not do this. He was not the type of man to do such a thing. Not in front of the children, especially. The blood could not be Jenny's, not all of it. She had looked her over, and found no cuts or abrasions. Unless, it was somewhere hidden. She mentally slapped herself banishing those thoughts from her mind. Senor Gibbs could not have done this. But he had been here. His phone was here. Where had he gone?

Noemi backed out of the room, and proceeded down the stairs, shielding the twins from their mother's lifeless form with her body. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the window shattered, and she jumped, screaming.

At Noemi's sudden movement, Leilah was able to catch a glimpse of her mother, and her screams took on a sudden increase in volume and pitch, sounding more like they belonged in a horror film; for her, it was a horror film, only far more realistic. As Noemi realized that they were EMT's and bolted for the door, Leilah reached for her mother, one chubby little arm extended over her nanny's shoulder.

Noemi shushed her as the EMT's strapped Jenny onto the stretcher, but the little girl did not understand why her mother would not wake up. She always woke when she or her brother cried for her. "Ma!" she screamed, gasping through her tears, remembering that it had gotten her mother's attention before, but Jenny did not respond, and Leilah resumed screaming, along with Jacob.

After the ambulance had left, Noemi tried to soothe the twins, all while trying to stay calm herself. She knew that if she was stressed, they would be too, but just maybe if she stayed calm, they would relax as well.

Hours later, Jenny woke in a bed she knew was not her own. The mattress was stiff and uncomfortable, and the sheets were thin, and itchy; She tried to open her eyes, but squinted at the harsh, stinging light. Once her eyes had grown somewhat accustomed to the lights in the room, she sat up, taking in her surroundings. Her eyes first flitted down to the flimsy hospital gown that she was wearing, rather than her usual silk slip; then darting to the machines monitoring her, and the commotion of the hospital, visible through the glass panels of her room. Why was she here? And then everything came flooding back to her; telling Gibbs about the pregnancy, his abrupt exit, the accident, the twins' crying. The twins! Where were her children? What had happened to Gibbs?

She hit the 'nurse' button, and a few seconds later, a robust, middle aged woman in floral scrubs entered the room, a smile on her face. "Hi! Glad to see you awake. How do you feel?"

Jenny tried to speak only to find her voice hoarse and weak. She cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her normal voice before speaking. "Fine. What happened?"

"You fell down a flight of stairs. You got yourself a broken arm and a nasty concussion. Don't worry. Your baby is fine," the nurse reassured her, expecting that to be the red head's next question.

Jenny closed her eyes, hating herself for not thinking of that. Something could have happened to her unborn child, and she had not even thought to ask. "My other children, my twins? What about them?" she asked, fearing they were at home alone, probably tired and scared and hungry.

"The EMT's said that there was a Spanish woman with two babies, boy and a girl when they arrived."

"Noemi," Jenny sighed in relief, before thinking in horror, what she must have walked in on. The young woman definitely deserved a raise.

"What?" the nurse asked distantly, looking up from the chart in her hand.

"Nothing, "Jenny sighed before inquiring of the older woman, "When can I leave?"

"Well I think we'll keep you here overnight, just as a precaution, but Dr. O'Malley will be in soon," she said with a smile. It was apparent that the woman was not fond of hospitals.

Jenny inhaled, as if to say something, but shut it again, running her tongue over lips before finally speaking. "Was a man with grey hair and blue eyes brought in last night?"

"Yes. Two of them actually. Came in with head trauma. Why? Do you think you know one of them?"

"Yea," Jenny whispered, before asking, "Are either of them dead?" fearing the worst.

"How are you related to him?" the nurse asked, looking at Jenny with new found interest, wondering what the woman had been through before being admitted.

Jenny hesitated only a second, before answering, "He's my husband." At the nurses sympathetic look, Jenny asked her next question, terrified that she had killed her children's father. "Is one of them an NCIS Agent?"

The nurse's expression morphed into a soft smile, "Yes, but he's fine. Still unconscious, but he has a strong pulse and heartbeat."

Jenny exhaled heavily, relieved, her head falling into the pillows, and she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Noemi had just gotten the twins to sleep when she received the call from the hospital, notifying them that Jenny was awake. She got them hooked into their car seats, and headed for Bethesda. Halfway there, she pulled across the intersection as the light turned green. Seemingly out of nowhere, a blue Ford crashed into the black Mercedes, and Noemi's scream was drowned out by a sickening _crunch._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Don't worry about the lack of major Jibbs content just yet, it's coming soon, and I'll have a Tiva chapter up next too! :) I'm still you know, setting up the story. And this story will be longer than the previous one. Well, anyway, I hope you like this chapter :)**

Noemi had closed her eyes, throwing her arms up to her face, in anticipation of the crash. She brought her hands down, slapping the airbag out of the way, and snapped her head to look at the screaming children behind her. She unhooked them, checking that they were unharmed. It was a miracle they were alright. She was fine as well, aside from the already forming bruise on her forehead.

She lifted them from their car seats, and jumped out of the car. She walked around the car, surveying the damage, all the while trying to calm the babies in her arms. The passengers side door was totaled, barely hanging from its hinges. The front bumper had been torn clean off, and the entire accident was enveloped in smoke. She took in the other driver, who was unconscious, the front of his truck smashed in. "Someone please! Call 911!" she screamed, hoping someone had already done so, as she now had no cell phone.

A woman in a military uniform came running toward her, phone in hand. "Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing Noemi by the shoulders.

"Fine. That man though, he needs help." Noemi replied, frantically motioning to the other driver, his face peppered in cuts and abrasions.

"Okay. I called 911. Help is coming. But are you sure that you're alright. The children?"

"Fine we are fine, but I do not have a phone. I must call their mother. We were on the way to the hospital, and this man, he crashed into me. Oh she will be so upset." Noemi cried, the events of the past few minutes starting to overwhelm her.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Who's their mother?" the blonde asked, trying to calm the frantic woman in front of her.

"Senora-Director Shepard. She works at NCIS."

He blonde woman looked at her in shock. This was bad, very bad. "Their mother is the Director of NCIS? Jenny Shepard?"

"Si. She is in the hospital we were going to see her."

"The hospital? Why?"

"I do not know exactly. Please I must get to the hospital." Noemi stressed, hoping the woman would help her, or leave, so that she could find someone who would.

"Okay. Look I'll take you. They can check you over there, the children as well."

"What about this man? Do I not need to stay?"

"He reeks of alcohol. I think the reason for the crash is pretty self explanatory. Don't worry about it. The emergency response teams are on the way. I can hear the sirens." she said, ushering Noemi to her car.

"Thank you. You are very kind," Noemi sighed, grateful to the woman for her generosity.

As they drove off, Noemi watched from the back seat, the twins in her arms, as an arsenal of sirens arrived on the scene.

They made it to Bethesda within fifteen minutes, and Noemi bolted from the car, tossing hurried words of thanks over her shoulder. She stopped at the reception desk, setting off in a blur of Spanish, before realizing the woman could not understand her. She stopped, shaking her head before speaking, "Where is Director Shepard's room please. I am her nanny, and these," she said motioning to the twins, "are her children. Please we need to see her. We were in an accident, and-

The receptionist cut her off, "Not by chance the one on 36 and Warwick?"

"Si. How did you know?"

"Well for one that bruise on your head. You should really have that looked at. But someone called in, saying a Spanish woman would be in with two children. Said they were in an accident and would need to be looked at, and that the mother of the children was Director of some Federal Agency."

"Yes. NCIS. Please her room number?"

"Ma'am you really should get checked out."

"I am fine," Noemi stressed, growing more frustrated with the woman's failure to give her the information that she needed. "Please her room. And please have them take care of the children. They should be looked at."

"Room 313 ma'am. If you hand me the children I'll have them looked at."

She thanked the woman before turning to the babies in her arms with a smile. "Okay chiquitos, this nice lady is going to make sure you are okay, and I'm going to find your mommy," she said, smiling at the twins, before handing the them to the receptionist, who handed them to a smiling nurse in purple scrubs. After ensuring that they were in good hands, Noemi set off down the hall. She slid between the elevator doors just as they closed, and fell back against the elevator wall, sending a soft, exhausted smile to the nurse next to her. He consequently smiled back before asking, "Which floor?"

Once she reached the right floor, Noemi ran down the corridor, and upon reaching Jenny's room, halfway down the hall, burst through the door.

Jenny jumped with a start, from her place by the bathroom door. She looked at the young woman in the doorway with concern, taking in the purpling bruise on her forehead. "Noemi!" she breathed, rushing to her housekeeper, grabbing the frazzled woman's head in her hands, "What happened? Are you alright? Noemi where are the twins?"

Noemi pulled away from her boss, wringing her hands, before blurting out in a string of rushed sentences, "Oh Senora I'm so sorry! I was-I got the call that you were awake, I told them to call me. I did not think to take my car, because of the car seats. I just…Oh! I just drove yours, the Mercedes. Senora I'm sorry! I should not have done it. It's just, when the paramedics came… When they came I did not hear the door. They broke the window, and Leilah saw you, on the steps. I thought she should see her mother was alright. We were in an accident. The car-

Jenny cut her off, the look in her eyes having gone from concerned to terrified in a matter of seconds. "An accident? Oh my God Noemi, Leilah and Jacob! Where are they? Are they okay?"

"Si Senora they are fine. The nurses are making sure, but I am sorry Senora. The car. It is my fault, I will pay for it. Senora I am sorry. Are you going to fire me?" Noemi asked in a small voice, terrified for her job, not just because it was her only source of income, but because she had come to love Leilah and Jacob as her own.

Jenny knit her eyebrows, feeling awful that Noemi would even feel the need to be scared for her job. "What? No! Of course not Noemi. And don't worry about the car, I'm just glad you and the kids are alright." Jenny said, pulling the girl into a hug, unusual for her, but she deemed it necessary in the situation.

Noemi tensed at first, not expecting that to be her boss' reaction, but soon relaxed, and finally broke down in tears, "Senora I am sorry. Please I will pay for the car. I was being careful. I promise. It's just that truck, it came out of nowhere. He drove past the red light. The front of the car is horrible. I will pay for it."

"Noemi. It isn't your fault," Jenny reassured her, pulling back to look the younger woman in the eyes, "You're not paying for the car either. That idiot who hit you is paying for my car. Noemi the car is not irreplaceable. And thank you for what you did for me. They said you called the paramedics. I probably wouldn't be here if not for you."

Noemi pulled away from the hug gently, swiping at her tears, in an attempt to regain some of her self control. "Senora do not say such things. You would have been fine, but it was nothing."

"No. It's not nothing. That's huge. After everything that's happened I think you at least deserve a raise, or something." Jenny said, trying to think how to repay the girl.

Noemi shook her head. "Oh no that is not necessary. You have already doubled my salary. I am just glad you are alright."

"Noemi I doubled your salary because you're doing two jobs. Take the raise. Really."

She looked down humbly, before meeting Jenny's eyes once more, "Thank you Senora."

"Good," Jenny said with a triumphant smile, "And take a week or two off. You look like you need it. Gibbs," her voice faltered at the mention of him, but she continued quickly, hoping Noemi had not noticed, "Gibbs and I can handle them for awhile."

"Thank you Senora," Noemi said, showing no signs of being really too relieved, but despite loving her job, she did need a break. Maybe she would visit her family. She thought she had seen her boss struggle at the mention of the twins' father, but did not comment. She had learned that lesson long ago.

It was then that Jenny got an idea. Smiling, she said, "Noemi, your family still lives in Florida right?"

"Yes," Noemi replied, looking at her boss in confusion. Why would she ask that out of the blue.

"Let me buy you a plane ticket to see them."

Noemi shook her head with a small smile. Her boss was being too generous already. "No thank you Senora. I could not ask you to do that."

"I know you wouldn't, so I'm offering," she said, and at seeing the woman's stubborn hesitance showing no resolve, continued in her argument, "Noemi you can't have gone to see them in at least three years. You've worked for me as long, and I've hardly seen you take a day off other than your given Wednesdays and Sundays."

Noemi had to admit that Jenny had a point. That was why she was thinking of visiting them; regardless, she could not allow Jenny to pay for such an extravagant trip. Unlike some others working for well off families, she would never try to swindle money or gifts from her boss. "You are right Senora, but as I said, I could not let you pay for something so extravagant."

Seeing that Noemi would not let her do it as a gift, she played her last card, "Noemi, please, it'll make me feel better about this whole thing."

"Senora really…."

"Unless of course, you don't want to go see them," Jenny added, thinking that maybe she was pushing for something that Noemi did not want in the first place. Maybe there was a reason she hadn't seen them in three years.

"No that is not it," Noemi laughed. Her boss always had been a stubborn woman. It was one of the things she admired about her. "Okay Senora. Thank you," she finished with a smile.

"Thank you Noemi. You're welcome, by the way."

Both women looked up, hearing footsteps approaching the door, expecting to see a nurse with the twins. Instead, standing in the door, was the blonde who had helped Noemi earlier. Who was she? She looked to her boss, and was shocked to see the look of disbelief on her face.

"Angela?" Jenny breathed, the shock evident in her voice, and written all over her face.

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys **pirate-princess1**,**Tony and Ziva forever**, **Butterfly Queen 123456**, **DreamerChild88**, **basket-case1880 , lachildress, NilesLover101, eoforever and ever, Prettycrazy, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, and muggleninja


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I can't sleep, and I was like ooh write! Now! So that is the story behind this double update day. :D**

Jenny stood in shocked silence, looking as if she had seen a ghost. "Angela?" she repeated in disbelief, walking closer to the blonde. She had to be hallucinating. Angela had been in an explosion last week in Afghanistan. They had told her husband she was almost unrecognizable. The only reason they had been able to identify her was that her dog tags had been lying next to her head. They hadn't known if she would make it. Alec had called Jenny on Monday, and she had cried the entire night. No one knew about it; aside from her and Alec, not even Jethro. She had kept her emotions in check the next day at work, as she always did, and no one had been the wiser. Alec had promised to keep her updated, and when he told her that he had told the kids, Jennifer, named after herself, who was four, and Thomas, who was just seventeen months, Jenny had known that there was almost a 100% chance that she wouldn't make it. Angela had been Jenny's best friend in college, and they had carried that friendship past their years at Georgetown. They had followed each other's careers; stayed a part of each other's lives.

They were like sisters. Jenny had been Angela's maid of honor at her wedding, been there for the births of both children, and every ceremony for every time she had made rank. She was also the godmother of "Little Jenny," as they had affectionately dubbed the small child. Angela's most recent deployment had been two weeks after Jenny made Director. She had just made Lt. Colonel, but planned to retire after she came back. She had missed both of her children's first steps, and words. All she had gotten were video chats, and each one had broken her heart. Tommy had only been four months when she had deployed, and she had missed her son's first birthday. She had said that she didn't want her children growing up, not knowing their mother, or worse yet, not having one to know at all.

But there was no way she was alive, not to mention in perfect health, aside from the sling supporting her arm. Jenny stopped, standing in front of her friend, her breath catching in her throat as she reached a shaky hand for Angela's face. She gasped when her fingertips found warm skin, and pulled her friend into a hug, mindful of her injured arm. She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them, her friend would still be there. She had not realized she had been crying until the hot tears, dropped from her cheeks, splashing onto her neck.

She laughed weakly, pulling away, and swiped at the tears; brushing off her emotions as always. "How?" she whispered, fearing her voice would bring her to tears once again, " The explosion. Alec, he said they found your dog tags."

"Not my body Jenny. I was above the explosion. I got shot, and my dog tags fell. I'm fine. Aside from my arm of course," Angela laughed wryly, motioning to her sling.

"Oh my God!" Jenny breathed, sinking onto the bed, holding her stomach, a movement that was starting to become second nature to her, "Does Alec know? The kids?"

"They know Jenny. Don't worry. I saw them last night. I made Alec wait to tell you, so don't be mad at him."

Jen bolted for the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Noemi came rushing in, closely followed by Angela. "What's wrong with her?" Angela asked, kneeling on the floor, her mobile hand on Jenny's back. Jenny never lost it like this, even a little bit. Between the two of them, Jenny was always the one to calm her, though the red head had the temper to match her hair color.

Noemi looked to her boss, retching and coughing, and figured she would get confirmation as to what she should do, so she simply said, "She is pregnant."

Angela snapped her head to her friend in shock, as Jenny coughed once more before resting her head on the toilet, her body heaving as she tried to regulate her breathing. "Jenny? You're pregnant?" she asked in awe. At Jenny's slight nod, she smiled softly, not knowing her friend's point of view on the situation. Jenny had never really wanted kids, and now she was pregnant. And those other kids, they hardly looked six months, and twins at that! She watched as Jenny got to her feet, and moved to help her, only to be swatted away. The red head rinsed her mouth out before turning back to face the concerned pair, her voice hoarse and scratchy, "I'm fine. Comes with the territory."

At that moment, the nurse from the reception area came through the door, holding the smiling twins. "Is that mommy?" she cooed as they reached for Jenny.

Jenny smiled, relieving the woman of the weight of the two children. "Hello babies," she whispered, before turning to the nurse, "Thank you so much."

"Oh no problem at all. They're very well behaved. Absolutely fine by the way. Not even a scratch on them. At the worst, they may be a little shaken up, but they seem to be smiling and happy."

To further emphasize the point, the twins squealed at her, Leilah fisting her hands in her mother's hair. Noemi rushed forward to unclench the little girl's fist, as Jenny's hands were full. Jenny thanked her, grateful for the assistance, before tucking her head between the twins, "You're okay huh?"

"Can we leave?" she asked, looking to the nurse once more. I feel fine."

The nurse smiled, "I'll have to clear it with Dr. O'Malley, but I don't see why not."

Three hours later, Jenny was ready to head back to the hospital, though not for any condition of her own, rather to sit with Gibbs. She was currently hooking Leilah into one of the car seats she had taken from Gibbs' car. "Thank you for taking them Angela. I'd take them, I just don't think they should see him like that."

"It's no problem Jenny. The kids'll have fun playing with them."

Jenny smiled, placing a kiss to each child's head, "Call me if there's any problems okay?"

"Will do Jenny. Go ahead. They'll be fine." Angela said, smiling at her friend's reluctance to leave the twins, characteristic of a new mother. Jenny nodded, climbing into Gibbs' 'death trap' of a car, and drove off, Angela's call behind her, "And drive safe!"

She arrived at the hospital thirty minutes later, a large purse in hand, filled with a change of clothes, deodorant, and a toothbrush. "Status of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs please," she demanded, albeit not harshly, upon reaching the front desk.

The receptionist started typing, and looked up, obviously having found him, "And your relationship to him ma'am?"

"He's my husband," Jenny lied for the second time that day, deeming it worth it when the nurse gave her his information. Upon hearing his room number, 432, she ran to the elevator, wondering how much damage she could have done if he was still unconscious, having only woken up once.

Once the elevator reached the correct floor, she stepped off, heading for Gibbs room. Upon reaching his room, she pushed the door open slowly, shutting it quietly behind her. She approached his bed slowly, noting that he looked far better than he had the last time she had seen him. The hospital staff had obviously cleaned him up, and he looked as if he could be sleeping, if not for the large gauze bandage wrapped round his head. She was assaulted by a feeling of déjà vu, as she rested a gentle hand on his head, before taking a seat in the hospital chair. She scooted the chair closer to the bed, grasping his hand in hers.

Sometime later, she sighed, resting her forehead on their intertwined hands, "Dammit Jethro! Why were you in my house at four a.m.? I could've shot you," she muttered, more to herself, knowing he could not hear her.

"Better than that lamp," came the hoarse reply.

Her head shot up, and she looked into the steely blue eyes she had, at one point, thought never to see again. "Jethro!"

**A/N: Yaay! He's awake! So I'm so glad you're liking the story guys! Thank you for all the reviews, they do make me very happy! So we'll be seeing some more of how Gibbs is doing, and some TIVA action in the next chapter! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So on the days that I have nothing to do, no plans, I do what I love, write! So even when I have that oh so evil writer's block, or a majorly hectic day that makes me conk out, I've got an insurance policy for a few days :D Anyway you guys, here's the next chappie! Hope you like!**

Ziva sat at the kitchen table, across from Tony, deep in thought; two fingers to her lips, staring absentmindedly into space. She still had not told Tony about her views on their situation. At the moment, she was still leaning toward terminating the pregnancy, but knew that Tony would be furious with her.

They came from two very different lives; he could not possibly understand how she felt, or why she felt that way. When she was twelve, she had already had both arms, and her left leg broken, her father's way of 'preparing' her for life ahead. She scoffed inwardly at the thought. He had never seen her as a daughter, only as a soldier in his bountiful army.

When her mother had disappeared, she was sixteen. Her father had told her that she had abandoned them, had pulled out a letter, supposedly from her mother. It had said that she was sorry, but could no longer live the way she was, for the children to listen to their father, and that she loved them. What her father had not realized, was just how well he had trained his oldest daughter. She had been able to determine in an instant that is what not her mother's handwriting, but her father's. He had been careless in his cover-up, and she wondered if it had been yet another test of her intelligence. Regardless, she was positive that her father had killed her mother. Her mother had always done her best to protect them, even Ari, who was not hers. She would not have left them alone with that man.

There was no way that Ziva could risk bringing children around him. He could call her back to Israel at any time, and he would find out about it somehow. Ziva would never put her family in danger like that.

Tony had been watching Ziva since they got home. She was distant, and distracted. She had hardly touched her dinner, and she had barely spoken a word since they walked in the door. He tried to pull her from her thoughts calling her name, "Ziva."

Her eyes snapped to him, "What?" She had almost forgotten he was there.

He looked at her in concern. What was wrong with her today? "You alright?"

She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it came out tight and forced, only heightening his concern for her. "Fine."

"Ziva you haven't touched your dinner, and you haven't said anything all night. What's up?"

She bit her lip, trying to decide how best to tell him. She interlocked her fingers, resting her elbows on the table, running her tongue over her top row of teeth. "The child."

The baby! "What happened?" he demanded, more concerned than anything, "Are you and the baby okay?"

"We are fine Tony."

He sighed in relief, "Well then what is it?"

She took a deep breath, "Are we ready for a child Tony?"

"What do you mean Ziva?"

"Are you sure that you want this?" she asked, looking for a way out.

"Yea Ziva. I'm sure," he stressed, wondering why she would doubt him. Taking in her expression, another thought crossed his mind, "Are you?" Her silence was all the answer he needed. "You don't want the baby?"

She lifted her head to look him in the eyes, her expression pleading, "I do not know Tony."

"Ziva, either you do or you don't," he said, his eyes darkening in anger, "Do you want an abortion?"

She pushed away from the table, angry that he was reacting exactly as she had expected him to. She stormed out of the kitchen, only to have him leap out of his chair, running behind her. He grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her in her tracks. She spun to face him, and the anger she was feeling could hardly rival what she saw reflected in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was low and demanding. Tony had never frightened her before, but right then, his eyes almost black, hate written all over his face, he frightened her; not because she could not protect herself, but because she never thought he could feel that way toward her. Their relationship used to be teasing, lighthearted, until that night Gibbs had left, six months ago. Gibbs obviously had his rules for a reason. She yanked her arm from his grasp, her eyes flashing, and bit out, "I don't know!"

"Well you'd better decide quick Ziva."

"You act like this is my decision alone! It is your child too!"

He let out a wry laugh that bordered on maniacal, "Yea, well in the end, you're gonna do what you want. This part, telling me, 'talking about it,' is just to make yourself feel better."

"How can you say that? You have no idea why I am doing this. You have no idea if I want this child Tony!"

"I think the word abortion makes it pretty clear Ziva," he scoffed, yanking blankets out of the closet.

"What are you doing?" she demanded at his actions.

"I'm sleeping on the couch. I don't sleep with murderers!" he yelled behind him, and then stopped, laughing sarcastically, "Oh wait! I did. Maybe I should've thought of that before I fucked you the first time huh?"

She smacked, him hoping it would sting half as much as his words had, "You bastard! I hate you! You have no idea who I am, what my life was like! I have **never** had a father! So don't whine to me about how yours made you work for your money when you were twelve. When I was twelve Tony, my father had broken both of my arms, and my leg! He **shot** at me, and my sister, my brother, weekly, to 'improve our reflexes'! He blindfolded me, and led me into the woods, leaving me to find my way back. I was ten! He **killed **my mother Tony! So don't act like you ever knew who I was, because you didn't." she finished, her chest heaving, tears streaming down her face. "**That** is why I can't have this child," she whispered, "Because of him," and turned on her heel, slamming the bedroom door, leaving a stunned Tony in her wake.

Miles away, Gibbs had finally woken from his state of unconsciousness, he and the red head at his side, completely unaware of the goings on in the modest D.C. apartment.

"Jethro! Thank God!"

"You won't hit me with another lamp right Jen?" he teased, a twinkle in his eye.

She smiled softly, "As long as you don't break into my house at 0400 again," she said, and smacked him in the arm, "What the hell were you thinking anyway?"

He looked at her in feigned hurt, "Jeez Jen. In a hospital bed here."

"Jethro I'm serious. What the hell were you thinking? I could've killed you."

"I wanted to see my kids," he said simply, providing no further explanation.

She scoffed at him in shock, "Jethro you can see them whenever you want. You know that. You didn't need to sneak into my house in the middle of the night!"

"Yea. I don't know how long that's gonna last," he muttered ruefully, and she shot out of her chair, eyeing him in confusion.

"Jethro, what on earth are you talking about? Do I need to call a nurse for you?"

"Jen, about the other night, when I left-

Her face darkened, and she closed her eyes with a sigh, not wanting to have an argument about that at the moment. "Not now Jethro."

"Jen, just listen to me."

"Jethro, I don't want to talk about it," she warned, her voice taking on an edge of authority, "We'll talk when you get out of here. " At seeing him about to talk again, she continued, starting to get annoyed with his absolute determination to deal with it there, "Jethro, just don't. We'll talk later, but if we do this now, I'm going to yell, and I don't want to."

"Goddammit Jen! Let me talk! I don't care if you yell or not!"

She it her tongue, trying to remind herself that he was in a hospital bed. She could kill him later, "Fine," she bit out, crossing her arms over her chest.

He sent her a look before speaking, making sure she would not cut him off again. "I shouldn't've left like that. I just panicked-

She cut him off, her voice fierce. She was not liking where his explanation was going, "Jethro you can't do that! You cannot just panic, and leave me. Jethro you need to decide what you need, because I won't have you popping in and out of our lives. I'm not putting my kids through that."

"Jen trust me, I'm not leaving my kids. But you having some guy's kid, I didn't want to hear about it. I didn't even know you were dating anyone. I don't wanna have some guy other than me being Leilah and Jacob's dad Jen. It's not gonna happen. And congratulations I guess," he added the last part lamely, looking up to see a disbelieving smile on her face.

She exhaled a laugh, leaning down, so that her face was only inches from his, "Jethro," she said smiling, "the baby is yours, ours"

His expression changed from one of confusion, to cautiously hopeful, "Ours? Mine and yours?"

She laughed. "Yea," she whispered, running a hand through his hair, searching his eyes for any hint of a reaction. She smiled when he pulled her head down, pressing her lips to his. She laughed into the kiss, as his heart monitor started to beep, notifying them of his increasing heart rate, and she pulled away, sinking back into her chair. Still smiling, she brought a hand to his cheek, "Later."

**A/n: Oh snapsickles! Hehe :)**** Well now we know why Gibbs walked out. Silly man. So Ziva and Tony are in need of some serious help right now, but at least Jenny and Gibbs are okay…for the time being at least. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Alright, so these are some happy chapters slipped in there(for Jibbs) just cuz you know I have some kind of have a thing about happiness :) So I hope you guys like this chapter, but tell me if it starts to get confusing with the switching and the Jibbs/Tiva And always tell me if you think I'm starting to stray out of character please :)**

The next morning, Ziva woke to a thumping sound. She soon realized that it was Tony, banging on the door. "Ziva! Ziva come on! Please open the door."

She sighed, rolling out of bed, and swung the door open, eyeing him expectantly, "What Tony?"

He could not believe her. She was acting like nothing had happened the previous night; but that was Ziva. He looked at her, his eyes pleading. He had messed up, and he knew it. "Ziva I'm sorry."

Her facial expression did not give way to any emotion, and she simply said, "I know Tony. And you were right. It is my decision," before slamming the door in his face. He heard the lock click, and knew he would not be forgiven easily.

Jenny had sat up with Gibbs, while he slept, the entire night, as she had been under strict orders not to fall asleep for twenty-four hours, but she was exhausted. Her head soon fell to their interlocked hands, and her eyes fluttered closed, even as she tried her best to keep them open.

Her head shot up some time later, and as she cleared the sleep from her eyes, she glared at a laughing Gibbs. "Shut up, "she moaned, kneading at the crick in her neck.

His expression morphed into one of concern, "You alright Jen?"

"I'm fine Jethro," she reassured him with a soft smile, getting up from her seat, walking to the door. "I'm going to the cafeteria. I'll see if I can smuggle you in a cup of coffee."

When she walked back in, ten minutes later, his face fell at seeing no coffee in her hands, just what looked like a turkey sandwich, and a bottle of water. She laughed at his expression before speaking, "The doctor's said no caffeine, but you can have a bite of my sandwich if you want."

"A bite?" he teased, "You are pregnant."

"Shut up. Do you want a bite or not?"

"Nah Jen. I'm good," he said, and she smiled, taking her place in her seat once more, only to have him protest her, "Jen that chair looks uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine Jethro," she said, taking a bite of the slightly dry sandwich in her hand.

"Jen you're pregnant."

She swallowed, and grinned, "Chauvinist."

"Used to be called gentlemanly. I liked that one better."

"I bet. And where would you suggest I sit Jethro, that would be more comfortable?"

He eyed her suggestively, "You could always share the bed."

Her teasing demeanor dropped, and she bit her lip, meeting his eyes, "What are we Jethro? I mean the fact alone that you thought this baby wasn't yours, obviously means we weren't in a relationship. And then you kissed me last night. What am I supposed to think? I'm not doing the friends with benefits crap. I'm thirty-six, and I've got two kids with one on the way. I'm not going to play games with you."

"Did I say anything about games?"

She sighed, rubbing a hand over weary eyes, "No, just. Jethro, answer my question."

"Jen we should raise them together," he stressed, hoping she would get a hint.

"Yes that's a nice thought Jethro, but that isn't what I asked. What do you want?"

"You."

She forced herself not to smile at that. She needed him to tell her, not make cute comments. "Well that's fairly obvious," she said, cracking a smile, motioning to her stomach. Then, her face grew serious once more, "Jethro, are we gonna try this?"

"That's what I'm tryna' say Jen."

She smiled, and leaned forward, pecking him on the lips, "Good, 'cause that's what I was saying too."

"Great, now get in the bed," Gibbs teased with a smile.

"Jethro!"

"Get your mind outta the bedroom Jen. I was just tryna' keep you comfortable. You are pregnant you know," he reminded her in the same teasing tone; and she bit her lip, barely concealing a smile, before sliding in next to him.

**A/n: You guys are awesome! Thanks for reviewing ladybugsmomma, Paige Joy, lachildress , basket-case1880 , HuddyJibbsAddict, pirate-princess1, and NCISforlife! :D **

**So I probabaly won't be able to get anymore updates up until tuesday, maybe late monday...idk, but anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So life is chill again and I had time to write, so here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like it :)**

Jenny rolled out of bed, threading a hand through her hair, and headed into the bathroom to start the shower. She groaned at finding no towels in the closet, remembering that they were still in the dryer from the previous night. Leaving the shower running, she sent a quick glance to Gibbs' still sleeping form, and strode out of the room, descending the stairs.

Stopping in the kitchen before continuing to the laundry room, she started the coffee, and cleaned up the few dishes left in the sink from the prior night's dinner.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the bedroom, noticing that Gibbs was no longer in bed. "Jethro?" she called, wondering where he could have gone. It was then that she noticed the bathroom door was only slightly ajar. She knew she had left the door open before she went downstairs. _He better not have stolen my shower. _She pushed the door open, taking in the blurred figure behind the crystlized glass of her shower, and slid the shower panel open, a peevish look on her face.

Gibbs smirked, turning to look at her, "What?"

She scoffed, "I can't believe you stole my shower! I had to go all the way downstairs to get a towel, and I can't use it."

"There are ways Jen," he said suggestively, pulling the panel closed, only to have her yank it back open.

"We don't have time for that Jethro. If you remember I gave Noemi the two weeks off, meaning that we have to take care of the twins this morning," she reminded him, eyeing him pointedly, before closing the panel back, and yelling over her shoulder, "And hurry up so I can get in!"

As Jenny looked through her clothes, she thought how the team would react to seeing Jethro, as well as herself back i nthe office. A week ago, they had probably walked in to see Leon Vance in her place with no explanation other than, 'extended leave of abscence.' They had done their best to keep the events of that night from the team, but knowing them, she wouldn't be surprised if they had already found out; but she assumed they hadn't, as Abby wasn't beating down her door.

At the sound of the shower shutting off, and the door opening, she looked up, gasping at the sight before her. Gibbs stood in the doorway, sans a towel, or anything else for that matter. She sauntered over to him, lips pursed, trying to conceal a smile, and shoved her towel into his chest.

He smiled, snatching it from her, and wrapped it around his hips. She grinned, brushing past him, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Two hours later, they walked into NCIS, a twin in each of their hands. It was barely 0700, so hardly anyone was in the bullpen. It was no secret that Jenny had children, but it was not common knowledge either, and the only people who knew the identity of the father were Gibbs' team, Abby, and Ducky. Nontheless, most of the few agents already in were shocked to see her climbing the stairs to her office, a baby in hand, and they were especially surprised to Gibbs behind her, holding a child as well. The spats between the tempermental red head and the bull headed agent were often quite noisy, and often very publicized. It was hard to tell when they were on good terms, and when they were not.

Once they had reached the top of the steps, Jenny took Jacob from Gibbs, and spoke loud enough for prying ears to hear, "Thank you for the help Agent Gibbs. It was very kind of you."

With a smile Gibbs replied, "Not a problem Director," before turning on his heel, jogging down the stairs, just in time to see Tony and McGee walk in, both shocked to see their boss.

"Boss!" Tony greeted him, the shock evident in his voice, "You're back."

McGee piped in , "Yea boss, where you been?" at Gibbs' pointed look, he nodded slowly, "None of my business?" Gibbs just stared at him, and McGee ended with a quick, "Okay," ducking his head, and took a seat at his desk. Gibbs smirked, doing the same.

Fifteen minutes later when they were still missing a member of the team, Gibbs asked, without looking up from his papers, "Where's Ziva?" directing the question at Tony.

Tony looked up slightly, before returning his eyes to his work. "Doctor's Appointement. She told me since you weren't here." It had been a week since the argument, and she had barely spoken to him. He hadn't slept in their room since, and this morning she had told him that she had a doctor's appointment. Before he could offer to go she had told him he wouldn't want to be there for that one and walked out the door. He knew exctly why she had that appointment, and she was right. He didn't want to be there. He wasn't sure if he should be regardless, but he just couldn't. He wasn't angry with her anymore, he understood why she needed to do it, but he didn't have to like it. He would have told her that he supported her, either way, but she hadn't allowed him to. She was gone before he woke up in the mornings, and she would retreat into the bedroom when they got home, locking the door behind her.

At the moment of Tony and Gibbs' short conversation, Ziva was walking into her doctor's office, debating with herself as she pulled the door open. _Could she really do this? Yes, she had to. But there were ways, she could hide this from her father. She could quit Mossad. But was she ready to do that? Absolutely. No, this needed to be done. She would not quit Mossad. Her hatred for her father did not carry over to Mossad. But her father __**was**__ Mossad. What was more important to her? Her new life here, with Tony, and the team, Abby, Jenny,the less guranteed one, or her old, more familiar life, with her father and Mossad?_

She sighed, walking up to the reception counter, giving her name, and as she waited for the homely looking receptionist to look up her appointment, she took in the women all around the office. There was a young, extremely pregnant brunette in the corner, who had a frightening likeness to Ziva. The woman had to be at least seven months. Ziva watched as she waddled as quckly as she could manage, over to a small boy with hair like his mother, but green eyes that Ziva assumed were the father's. The brunette took the boy, who had been trying to push the door open, by the hand, and led him back to their seats. She caught Ziva's eye and smiled. Ziva managed a weak smile, but somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that if she were to change her mind, that could be her in a few years; keeping a little boy with her hair, and Tony's green eyes, out of trouble, while sitting in a doctor's office, pregnant with their second child, a girl, possibly.

She snapped her head to the receptionist, who had tapped her hand, obviously having been trying to regain her attention for some time. She had a knowing smile on her face, as she handed Ziva the clipboard with the forms to fill out. Thirty minutes later, Ziva was still trying to decide on the best decision, when a nurse called her name, "Ziva David." As she stood, Ziva heard another name called at the other side of the room,"Meira Kollek?" and looked to her right, to see the brunette from earlier, pushing herself out of the chair. _Was she Israeli as well? _

The nurse called her name once more, question in her eyes, "Miss David?"

Ziva ran a hand through her hair, following behind the woman, into a room down the hall. The nurse pushed the door open, and directed her to change into a gown and sit on the exam table, telling her that the doctor would be in shortly, before exiting the room. As she changed into the gown, thoughts continued to race through Ziva's mind, and within two minutes, she had mind up her mind that she could not go through with it; but as soon as she had hopped down off of the table, intending to put her clothes back on, the doctor knocked on the door. She hesitated before yelling, "Come in," and the doctor entered, a smile on her face.

Taking in the Israeli's face, and current standing position, the doctor asked, "Are you alright Miss David?"

Ziva took a deep breath and hopped back onto the table, "Yes."

The doctor looked at her still skeptical, "Are you sure that you want to do this Miss David?"

Ziva sighed, "I am sure."

**A/N: *Gasp* Oh my Gosh! Lol review please! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So it has been brought to my attention by the lovely****NCIS87 that I have been neglecting McAbby. Although it's a Jibbs story, I've had Tiva, but no McAbby! So that will be changing soon, once I find a way to incorporate them into the story without it being akward, cuz I hate when people do that, just drop it in there. McAbby deserves background just like Tiva and Jibbs :)**

"Miss David, before we do this, I have to make sure that you fully understand the gravity of what you are about to do, as you don't seem completely sure about this."

"I am aware. Thank you," Ziva said, her words clipped. She just wanted to get it over with, and go back to work; forget about the whole thing.

"Alright. Last time. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ziva replied, meaning for her words to be confident, and reassuring; instead they came out choked and had exactly the opposite effect she was hoping for. The doctor stared at her, and Ziva swallowed, "No." She couldn't do this. The child growing inside her was part her, part Tony. She couldn't destroy that. "No I'm not. I don't want to this anymore."

The doctor smiled, knowing the dark haired woman had not been ready to make that decision, "Well do you mind if I do an ultrasound instead then? See how the baby is doing?"

Ziva shook her head, "No it's fine." She smiled inwardly at the thought of bringing home a sonogram picture rather than an empty womb. She gasped as the doctor smeared the cold gel over her stomach, the sensation catching her off guard. The doctor moved the wand over her stomach, and back over again, and again. At the woman's frown, Ziva started to realize something was wrong. "What?" she demanded, and swallowed as the doctor turned to her, her face dark, her voice solemn, "Miss David, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but there's no heartbeat."

"What?" Ziva whispered, "No. I'm ten weeks! I just had it confirmed last week."

The doctor wiped the gel from her stomach, pulling the gown back down. "I'm very sorry Miss David. There's no heartbeat, no fetus. The baby is gone. It's most likely that the baby stopped developing, and has absorbed back into your body, leaving only the sac behind. This does happen sometimes in first pregnancies. It happens to plenty of other women. If you like, we can let this carry out on its own, or we can do a D&C. If you choose, you can try again once the bleeding has stopped, but I suggest waiting until after your first period. I really am very sorry.

Ziva sat in shocked silence until the doctor prompted her again, "Miss David?"

Ziva snapped her eyes to focus on ths doctor, "I will just let it carry out on its own. May I leave now?

The doctor nodded, sympathetically.

"Thank you," Ziva whispered, trying to keep the tears at bay, and the doctor nodded leaving her to get dressed. As she pulled her shirt over her head, a few stray tears started to spill over onto her cheeks, and she swiped angrily at them, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and snatched her purse from the floor. She strode past the front desk, as it was a free clinic, and got outside as fast as she could. She felt the tears start to run down her face as her boots clicked aginst the pavement.

Sliding into the driver's seat of her car, Ziva checked her appearance in the rearview mirror, wiping away the streaks on her cheeks, and forced herself to stop crying, as she picked up the phone.

Jenny was in her office, going over files, walking back and forth across the room, Jacob in her arms, while Leilah sat contently in her carrier, swatting at the things dangling from the handle; her cell phone rang in her purse, and she eyed it confused. _ Who would be calling her personal line at this time of day? _Squatting down, she dragged the purse out from under her desk, rummaging through the bag, trying to find the phone before it stopped ringing. To her dismay, Jacob started tugging on her hair, and she had to divert her attention from the ringing phone to uncurl the little boy's fingers. "Jacob no," she scolded him softly, and groaned as the phone stopped ringing. Finding it, only a few seconds later, she looked at the missed call message flashing on the screen. _Why had Ziva called her? _Hitting redial she waited, until Ziva answered on the second ring, _"Jenny?"_

"Yes. Ziva what's wrong?"

_"I hate to call you wherever you have gone, but would you please call and tell Assistant Director Vance to give me the rest of the day off._

"Ziva I'm back. I didn't even know you hadn't come in today. I've been upstairs with the twins all day. Why do you need the day off?" She got no answer, and pushed her, "Ziva?," fearing something had happened. Sinking into her chair, Jacob in her lap, Jenny tried once more, "Ziva what's wrong?"

_When Ziva finally spoke, it sounded as if she were fighting tears, "Jenny, I just need the day off." There was no way she could face Tony right then. "I will tell you later, I promise, but please?"_

Worried for her friend Jenny hesitantly agreed, "Fine. Take it. Do you need me to come to your apartment? I don't have anything all that important today."

_"No," Ziva sighed, "Do not worry about it Jenny. I will be fine. I'm just not feeling too well."_

"Okay, if you're sure."

_No she was not sure, but what she said completely contradicted her thoughts, "Definitely. I will be in tomorrow."_

After they ended the call, Jenny leaned back in her chair, bouncing Jacob distractedly on her lap, thinking about the worrisome conversation with the Israeli. She was soon pulled from her thoughts by her son clawing at the neckline of her green wrap blouse. She pushed his hands away, trying to get back to work. Soon, he rested his head on her chest and started to whine. She looked down, trying to figure out what could be wrong with him. He never acted that way. Between him and Leilah, he was the calmer one. It was then that she realized he must be hungry. She had been so focused on her call from Ziva that she had forgotten that he usually ate by then.

She grabbed the throw pillow from the other side of the couch and tossed it where she would be sitting, before grabbing Jacob's blanket from his carrier. Sitting on the couch, she leaned back against the pillows, and pushed her top to the side, closing her eyes, knowing that he could take an upwards of fifteen minutes.

Ten minutes later, she had finaly relaxed when Tony came barging in, only to spin around to face the door, at seeing what she was doing. She groaned turning so that she had her back facing him, hoping not to disturb the child in her arms. "What do you want Tony?"

He laughed nervously, "You're a like little milk farm over there huh?"

"DiNozzo," she ground out in warning. She was not exactly pleased at being interrupted without notice.

"Right sorry. I was just, see well, Gibbs sent me up here 'cause he went to get coffee. He told me to give you these case files."

"So you decided to just barge in. Right, makes complete sense," she teased, having enjoyed making him squirm for a while. Any other probie, she probably would have fired on the spot, but when Gibbs had left, she and Tony had gotten much closer, especially with the twins around. She had gotten closer with all of Gibbs' team, as well as Abby. But with Tony, she could say that they were friends. She didn't know that she could really say that about McGee just yet.

"That all Tony?"

"Um...no."

"Well then, either speak, or come back later."

"Okay well Gibbs might've done something."

She grabbed Jacob's blanket from his her lap to cover herself, and stood up walking over to Tony so that she was right behind him. He turned to face her, and she spoke, more like growled, her eyes flashing, "What did Gibbs do?"

"See he may have told a sort of important person to shove something up something of said important person's that rhymes with mass," he explained, grimacing as she clenched her jaw, and it started to twitch.

"What do you mean by **sort of **important Tony?"

He grinned, dreading her reaction to his next sentence, "The Director of the FBI qualifies as important right?"

He watched as her eyes widened and her chest started to heave in an attempt to control her breathing, but it was uneffective, and he winced when she snapped, shrieking, "He did what?"

Consequently, Jacob started to whine, and she muttered, "Goddammit!" bouncing the boy in her arms, in an attempt to calm him again. Snapping her attention back to Tony she hissed," And just when did this happen?"

"Um...about ten minutes ago, when he called him about some papers for the case. Director must've said something 'cause that's when he screamed it. Then, he went out for coffee, and told me to do what I just did."

"And you waited until now to tell me?" she asked incredulously, all the while still trying to calm the boy in her arms, as he picked up on her mood, and started to whine louder. "I'm gonna kill him."

"So should I warn him to stay out of your way?"

"No. Oh no, you send him up here the minute he gets back. And don't you warn him about a damn thing!"

Twenty minutes later, Jenny sat at her desk with her reading glasses on, as she looked over the budget graphs on her computer, having gotten Jacob, calmed, fed, and asleep. She barely looked up when Gibbs burst through the door, looking at her expectantly, a cup of coffee in hand. Closing out the graphs she smiled sweetly at him, "Jethro. What can I do for you?"

He squinted at her, starting to get suspicious. Dinozzo had to have told her what he did, and Jenny did not smile like that unless she was about to rip someones guts out. "Dinozzo said you wanted to see me."

She feigned sudden realization, and walked over to the carriers, holding the sleeping children, lifting them from the coffee table, and stopped before heading out the door, "Wait here."

It only took him a second to realize that he did not want to be there when she returned, and he followed her lead, only to see Jenny gone, the front doors closed, and Cynthia smiling at him. He glared at her, and grabbed the door handle, only to find it locked. "Where's the key Cynthia?"

She just smiled, and it was at that point that Jenny flung the doors open, shutting them quickly behind her upon seeing Gibbs in the doorway. "Trying to escape already Jethro? Honestly, you act like I'm about to castrate you." she said the same sweet smile on her face, with a voice to match. Placing a hand at the small of his back, she led him back into her office. He walked inside, turning to face her when he did not hear the door click. She stood in the doorway still smiling, until all of a sudden her smile dropped, and glare settled there instead, as she slammed the door with such a force that the entire room shook, and screamed, "What the **hell **were you thinking?"

Outside the door, Cynthia's eyes shot up and she thought to herself, that Agent Gibbs would be a very unhappy man.

He grimaced as she set off on her tirade, advancing on him. "What makes you think, that it is **okay ** to tell the Director off the FBI to shove it up his ass!" she demanded, emphasizing each word with a shove. She made a sarcastically disbelieving face, "And then. You think that you can get away with adding insult to injury! And call him a, what did you say again, oh right! A dumbshit!"

"You can't call the Director of the FBI a dumbshit, and then hang up on him! So I'll ask you again, Jethro what **in God's name **were you thinking?"

Gibbs was not going to back down from the argument just because she was angrier than usual. Granted, he probably should not have done it, but he was definitely not going to tell her that. "Well Jen, I was thinkin' he was bein', a dumbshit! He knew damn well he could've given me those papers."

"That doesn't mean you have to voice it Jethro! In fact you know that you don't!"

"Well you can fix it can't you? So I don't see what the big deal is!"

She scoffed incredulously, "I can fix it? I can fix it? Is that what you think? You think everytime you step in it I'm just going to pull you out clean and new? Is that it? Well Jethro how about this time you fix it!" she growled.

"Me?" he scoffed, "Me, who you don't want going near anything political with a ten foot pole?"

"Yes you! Maybe if you see how difficult it is to 'fix it' you won't pull things like this anymore!"

"Wouldn't count on it Jen," he smirked.

"You think this is the time for jokes? I assure you Jethro you will not be laughing when your favorite part of your anatomy is missing courtesy of a scalpel swiped from autopsy."

"You wouldn't do that Jen."

"And why would that be?"

" It's your favorite too," he dared, and she moved so fast that even he did not see her right fist coming before it connected with his face.

"Get out of my office! And stay away from my house tonight!"

He strode out of her office, and Cynthia shot out of her chair to open the outside doors.

Gibbs jogged down the stairs, taking his seat in the bullpen. Tony grimaced, "Ooh! Boss what happened to your face?"

"Director hit me. What do we got?"

"Remind me not to piss her off. Got a hell of a right hook." Tony muttered, and at Gibbs glare, started on their findings.

That night, Jenny walked back into her office from a quick run to the copier. Cynthia had gone home an hour ago, and Jenny planned to as well. She would just take the copies of her work home.

When she entered the room there was a bouquet of dark red roses on her desk that had not been there five minutes previously. She eyed them suspiciously, wondering how someone could have gotten past security to get into her office without her knowledge. Security always called Cynthia before admitting anyone into the bulding who was destined for her office, or herself if Cynthia was not there. She looked around the room, and she could have sworn she saw a pair of, eyes, looking at her. Shaking her head, she blinked her eyes, and when she looked again, they were gone. She brushed it off as fatigue tampering with her mind.

As she drew closer to the mysterious bouquet, taking in its makeup of blood red roses, baby's breath, and what looked like orchids, she took in the cream colored card, plucking it from its place nestled between the leaves of the bush. She smiled at the message

_I'm sorry for today. I'll be waiting for you at home._

_Love Jethro._

She sniffed the arrangement, and sighed. It smelled of roses, as she had expected, and a hint of vanilla. That was a welcome surprise. Angela had come to get the twins at 1800, when Jenny realized she would probably be staying until at least 2000 hours that night. She had taken them back to Jenny's house to get them into bed, and stay with them until Jenny returned home, as the red head had already banned the children's father from her residence for the night. Until seeing the flowers Jenny had still been furious with him. She was still upset, but maybe she could let him in for the night, even if he slept on the couch.

She walked out of the NCIS bulding, her jacket in hand, as her car came around the corner. She had to jump back to avoid being run down by a dark sports car that was speeding out of the parking lot. Once she was in the back of her car, Stanley in the front, on her way home, she pulled out her phone to dial the familiar number. The recipient of her call answered on the second ring,with a clipped and professional, "_Gibbs."_

She smiled, "Jethro."

_The shock was evident in his voice when he spoke, "Jen? Thought you'd still be too mad to talk to me."_

"I was," she laughed, "until I got the flowers. Thank you by the way. They're beautiful."

_"What flowers Jen?" he asked, confusion surrounding his words._

"The orchids, and the roses," she said hoping that he was teasing her, "I don't know how the delivery boy got in and out without me seeing him. I was only out of the room for five minutes."

_"Jen I didn't send you any flowers," he said, his voice low._

Her heart started to hammer in her chest as she thought back to the card. Jethro never apologized. Not for anything like what he had done anyway. And he didn't sign anything _Love Jethro_. "Jethro if you didn't send them who did?" she breathed, thinking back to the eyes in her closet.

_"Jen. What did the card say?" he demanded, his nerves tingling._

She yanked the card from her purse reading the message to him.

_At having heard the message, she picked up on the slight increase in his breathing before he spoke. "Jen don't go home tonight."_

As she thought about the night's events her breathing picked up, and she realized that she had not been alone in her office that night. The eyes had not been her mind playing tricks on her. She hated to think what kind of person could lie behind those eyes. They had been black as coal, and rodent like in appearance. The only reason she had been able to see them had been because of the way the light fell on the cliver of space where the door had been left ajar. Thinking back to the hungry look in them sent chills down her spine. "Jethro. He was in that office with me."

_"Jen you tell your driver to bring you here. Do not go home!"_

She was about to agree when she flashed back to the dark sports car that had sped out of the parking lot, and a far more frightening thought crossed her mind. She gasped, bring a hand to her mouth, "Jethro the twins are there."

She heard a commotion from the other end of the line, that sounded like metal and glass hitting cement, before the line cut.

**A/N: Oh yeah drama is back in full swing now :) Haha hope you liked this one as well. It was a tad long, one of my longest I think. I know! Don't be mad over Ziva. I had to do it! But it'll get better later! So instead of a shoutout this time I just PM'd the people who reviewed. I didn't forget! Just tried something different! Okay anyway, review please :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing you wonderful people. Almost ten reviews for this chapter, almost! :) But any amount of reviews make me happy! So thanks again guys! Hope you enjoy the new chapter! :D**

Jenny had done exactly the opposite of what Gibbs had told her, and raced to her house. She jumped out of the car, her gun drawn, and raced for her front door, even as Melvin yelled after her. Pushing the already ajar door open, she stepped inside the dark house, shifting her eyes down at the sound of glass crunching beneath her feet. As she brought her head back up, she gasped at the feeling of a cold barrel against her temple, and the click of the safety being released.

She only relaxed, shutting her eyes in relief, when it was a familiar gravelly voice that spoke, "What do you want?"

"Jetro?" she breathed, hoping that it was not simply wishful thinking. She exhaled when the gun lowered, but took a sharp intake of breath in fear once more when her intruder spun her to him in a choke hold before dragging her to the doorway, his gun drawn. He released her, grabbing her gently by the waist instead, as she stumbled back against him, gasping for breath. At that moment Melvin appeared at the door, his gun drawn. "I'm fine Melvin," she reassured the young man, who was looking at her as if she had lost her mind. She had, temporarily.

Her driver was quiet for some time before returning to the conversation that was conducted each night, "I'll secure the premises Director."

"Oh that's not necessary Melvin. Agent Gibbs has already done so for me. You can go home."

"I don't mind ma'am."

"It's alright Melvin. Go home," Jenny said, authority edging into her voice, to let the young man know that it was no longer a request.

He hesitated slightly before nodding curtly, "Yes ma'am. Have a good night."

"Same to you Melvin. Good night," she said with a smile, and he nodded, shutting the door behind him. With her driver gone, Jenny turned in Gibbs arms, and looked to him with searching eyes.

He hugged her to him, kissing her forehead. "I had to make sure Jen."

She nodded shakily before pulling away abruptly, the panic from earlier, returning to her eyes when she spoke, "Jethro, please tell me they're here." His silence was the only answer she needed, and she pulled out her phone to call Angela, hoping that she and the twins had gone out, or better yet, never entered the house, and were safe. She waited while the phone rang, and to her dismay, recieved only her friend's voicemail. "She didn't answer," Jenny whispered, running both hands through her red locks anxiously.

"Jen look you need to calm down," he warned, as he noticed her breathing picking up, remembering that she was pregnant.

She looked at him incredulously, "Jethro my children are **missing**! Along with my best friend! How do you suggest I calm down? There's some psycho after me, who probably has everything to do with that! And you expect me to calm down?"

"Jen you're pregnant," he reminded her, "we don't need you having a panic attack. We'll find them."

She sighed, finally taking in the disarray of her house. There were pictures and cushions strewn everywhere, but the one thing thsat stood out was the red splotch in the carpet. "Jethro is that...?" If that was what she thought it was she didn't know what she would do. That was a lot of blood. She sighed inwardly when he shook his head, "Well then what is it?"

"Red wine."

"Does the rest of the house look like this?" she asked incredulously. He stayed silent, but the look on his face tipped her off that something was wrong, "What?"

Still, he kept silent, doing nothing other than moving for the stairs, a crooked finger behind him, intending for her to follow. Walking down the hallway, he stopped abruptly in front of her room, and she eyed him warily before pushing the door open. She bit back a gasp at the sight inside. Her entire room had been either tossed or ripped to shreds; she squated to the floor, picking up a picture of one of the few pictures with her, Jethro, and the twins. It had been only a week after he had come back. Abby had insisted on a barbeque to celebrate his homecoming, and Ducky had snapped the picture without their knowledge. They had both been laughing at a joke he had told her, a child in each of their laps. Leilah was blowing rasberries at the camera, and Jacob was asleep, his head resting on his father's chest. The thing that disturbed now,was that her face had been marked out with a big, red 'X.'

She handed the photo to Gibbs without a word, and watched as his face hardened. From her place on the floor, she really took in the chaos of her room. Her bed had been stripped of its coverings, and her underwear, and lingerie had been trailed across the floor. She squinted her eyes, wondering if she was imagining the polaroid on her bed. Pushing herself to her feet, she strode across the room and gasped, bringing Gibbs to her side in an instant. In the picture was a much younger Jenny, grinning at the camera, her arm tossed around the shoulders of a woman who could be her twin, aside from the blue eyes; standing behind them, was a woman with Jenny's smile and the same blue eyes as the other young woman. "Who are they?" he asked, his breath tickling her neck.

"My mom, Julie, and my sister, Heather," she whispered. As with the other picture, Jenny's face had been marked with a red 'X,' but unlike in the other snap, her mother and sister's faces had been circled in the same color.

He stepped away from her slightly, eyeing her incredulously, "You have a sister? And your mother is alive?"

"I never said she was dead Jethro." she muttered without facing him.

"Yea well you never said she was alive either!" He couldn't believe she hadn't told them about them. At least he had a reason with Shannon and Kelly.

She turned to face him, and sighed exasperatedly, "Jethro, not now."

"You wanna tell me why?" he demanded, his voice raising.

Her brows furrowed, her eyes flashing in anger, she scoffed, "No Jethro! I can't believe your pestering me over this now!"

"You remember when you found out about Shannon and Kelly?" he demanded, his face mere centimeters from hers, "you were pissed."

"Which is **exactly** why you have no right to be angry about my mother and sister!" she growled, poking him in the chest. "You of all people, should understand the need to keep things private!"

"I had my reasons Jen! What're yours?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you Jethro! We both have our skeletons, so why don't you back off!"

"This is different, and you know it! You wanted a relationship, and now you're tellin' me your family is none of my business?"

"We were in a relationship six and a half years ago too Jethro! You weren't concerned about it then. In fact, you weren't really all that concerned with talking at all," she said, a smart look on her face.

"Yea well I'm concerned about it now!"

"Like I said Jethro, now is not the time," she said, giving him a pointed look, her voice low. She was starting to feel dizzy, and her head hurt. Maybe there was something to keeping stress down when you were pregnant.

"Now is **exactly** the time! Have you even told them about Leilah and Jacob?"

"Have you told your father?" she challenged.

"I've had six weeks. You had six months!"

"Either way Jethro, you've got daddy issues, and I've got mommy issues. Couple made in heaven," she spat, venom dripping from her words.

"Goddammit Jen! What the hell is so damn horrible that you can't tell me about them?"

She swayed slightly, trying to gather what strength she had left, and end the argument. Instead however, her eyes rolled back into her head as they closed, and she fell backwards. Gibbs rushed forward to catch her before she fell and muttered, "Jesus! Jenny," tapping her face in an attempt to rouse her, "Jen! Jenny!"

A minute later, her eyes fluttered open, and she felt the strong arms wrapped around her, and looked up into concerned blue eyes. She sat up slowly and groaned. It felt like she had rocks in her head. "What happened?"

"You passed out," he said, his hands on her cheeks, searching her face for any signs of extreme pain.

She felt extremely tired, and had to close her eyes again, but brought a hand to to his left one, sighing, "I'm fine Jethro, just a little worked up."

"Yeah right. You're going to the hospital."

She sighed exasperatedly, pursing her lips in aggrivation, "Jethro I don't need to go to the hospital. I need to find my children. You do that for me, and I'll be fine."

"Yeah, I've already got DiNozzo and McGee on it Jen. And I'm gonna go help them, but right now, you need to see a doctor." She glared, about to protest agin, when he cut her off, "Just go to see if the baby is okay. See if your fall had any effect."

"Fine," she sighed, pushing herself to her feet, only to sway once more, feeling as if she would fall over from exhaustion.

"See?" he demanded, catching her by the elbow.

"I'm **fine **Jethro. I'm only going because you'll worry about the baby."

"And you."

"You seemed pretty satisfied with biting my head off five minutes ago," she spat, yanking her arm from his grasp, heading down the stairs in front of him.

They did not speak to each other on the way to the hospital, and she stepped out of the car before he could walk around to open the door for her, striding inside. Only ten minutes after arriving, they sat in an exam room, awaiting the results of Jenny's blood test. They had done a quick ultrasound, finding that the baby appeared to be in perfect health.

Both of their heads shot up in surprise when the door flew open, rather than recieving the customary, polite knock. Jenny furrowed her brows at seeing the needle in the hand of a nurse who had followed behind the doctor. Before she could ask what was going on, the doctor spoke, his voice full of concern, "Ms. Shepard, have you recieved a gift of flowers recently? More specifically roses?"

"Yes," she replied cautiously, wondering how he could possibly know that.

"How long ago?" he demanded, his voice stressed.

"I don't know. I guess about two hours ago. What does this have to do with-

The doctor cut her off, "Did you smell them?"

She was starting to get aggrivated with his pointless line of questioning, and it could be heard in her voice at her next question, "Yes! Look can I-

He cut her off again, and she looked at him incredulously, but she was ignored. When he spoke he seemed rushed in his words, but seemed as if he were trying to stay calm, "Ms. Shepard, listen to me. You've been poisoned. We need to administer an antidote as quickly as possible.

"Posisoned?" she shrieked, but her doctor was unfazed by her actions.

"Yes, and I know this may be a shock, but you need to sign the release forms for the antidote."

"Why would I need to sign release forms! Are there some kind of risks?"

"Minimal, yes, but the alternative is far worse."

"Well what's the alternative?"

"Death."

**A/N: Ooooh! Lol so this one is**** a little shoter. But I hope you liked it! We'll see how Ziva deals in the next chapter! Then of course what's happening to the twins, and what the heck is up with Jennny's family!And there will be McAbby! Yay! Kay, review please :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks to, g2lovencis, DreamerChild88, TheBreakfastGenie, basket-case1880, lachildress, Herky Illiniwek, pirate-princess1, ladybugsmomma, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, Butterfly Queen 123456, and JET1967 for the awesome reviews. :D**

After administering the antidote, the doctor had had Jenny moved to a more permanent room, stating that he wanted to keep her overnight, just to monitor any effect the poison or it's antidote could have on her or the baby.

She and Gibbs sat in uncomfortable silence, waiting for the doctor to return. Gibbs sat in a chair mere feet from the bed, watching her; while Jenny laid in bed, clad in nothing more than a flimsy hospital gown, hooked up to an IV, a nasal cannula, and a heart monitor, as well as an ECG machine for the baby. She closed her eyes, her breathing falling into synch with the steady beep of the heart monitor, doing her best to ignore the intense stare she was receiving from her silver-haired counterpart.

Soon, there was a knock at the door, and Jenny mumbled, "Come in," just loud enough to be heard. Her doctor entered the room, smiling at the exhausted woman in the hospital bed.

Rolling a chair to her bedside, he sent a quick glance at the machines monitoring her, and nodded, clearly satisfied before speaking to her. "Feeling a little tired Ms. Shepard?"

His only response was an incoherent, "Mmhmm," from her. In truth, she was completely exhausted.

He laughed softly, "That is a side effect of the medication we gave you. It seems to be working well. Your stats are returning to normal, and it doesn't seem to have effected the baby negatively, so I'll let you get some rest, and when you're awake I can explain better what happened to you if you'd like."

She gave a minute nod, never opening her eyes, and the doctor stood, motioning for Gibbs to follow him. He stood as well, sending a quick glance back at the sleeping red head before exiting the room with the doctor, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Once they were outside the room, the doctor spoke immediately. "I assume you're the father," the doctor said, issuing the statement as more of a question. At Gibbs' nod he continued, "Well maybe you can tell me what happened. The more we know, the better we can treat her. So, do you know what happened?"

"In regards to what?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to give away more than was needed.

"Anything you can tell me. Ms. Shepard said that she received a bouquet of flowers. Do you know anything about it?"

"She got roses and orchids, red roses, white orchids."

The doctor nodded in thought before posing his next question, "Were you there when she received them?"

"No. They were sent to her at work," Gibbs replied, wondering where the doctor could possibly be going with his long line of questioning, "Where is this going doctor?"

"Look. I suggest you take this to the police. What she was poisoned with is something called Gardinide. It's a relatively old poison, but very effective. It isn't seen as often, and not at all easy to get a hold of. So, whatever she may be involved in, she's dealing with someone who's dangerous, and he's obviously got good connections. I can tell you all about it now, or I can explain it to both of you when she wakes up. She should be out for about twelve hours or so, so she should be awake by ten tomorrow."

Gibbs shook his head, "Just tell me now."

"It's a fine translucent powder that smells like roses, with a slight underlying sent of orchids, so it's easily concealed in a bouquet of flowers. It's usually inhaled, as that's how it works fastest. In fact, that's how it was often used. A powerful man would send his irate mistress a bouquet of flowers, she'd smell them, and twelve hours later, she'd be dead. The symptoms are by no means blatant, however, which is what makes it so dangerous. Nausea, slight headaches, maybe some slight difficulty breathing, then eventually, a short bout of unconsciousness. Many people made the mistake of taking it as exhaustion, or stress, easily cured by a good night's sleep. She's lucky," he said, eyeing the closed door, "It's late. She could have gone to sleep, and not realized anything until it was too late. At the least, it would have worked its way through her system; the baby wouldn't have made it."

Gibbs face was void of emotion, aside from the subtle darkening of his eyes at the thought of what could have happened had he not been there. He nodded curtly at the doctor, and strode out of the hospital, headed for NCIS. He wanted to stay with Jenny, but he needed to find Leilah and Jacob first.

Ziva had driven around aimlessly for the entire day, trying to grow accustomed to the fact that she was no longer pregnant. She needed to do that before she could even think of telling Tony. She had turned her phone off, so that no one could reach her, _Gibbs rules be damned._ It was not until 2300, when she finally pulled into her parking space. Looking up to her apartment window, she took in the lack of light or movement, and assumed that Tony had already gone to sleep. Turning her phone on, she took in the twenty-five missed calls from either Tony or Gibbs, and started to get worried.

Sliding her key into the lock, she pushed the front door open, calling for her boyfriend, "Tony?" At receiving no reply, she turned on the lights, calling his name once more, panic edging into her voice, "Tony?"

Dropping her purse in the foyer, she proceeded cautiously into the living room, her gun drawn. It was then, that she noticed the yellow paper on the coffee table. She snatched it up, her eyes flitting across Tony's nearly ineligible scrawl.

_Leilah and Jacob are missing. Angela too. Come to NCIS when you get home._

_Tony._

_Missing? Where was Jenny? Gibbs? _She grabbed her purse from the floor, and ran out of the house without a second thought. She ran down the stairs thoughts racing through her mind as she skimmed through her missed calls; each message more frantic than the last.

Thirty minutes later, she stepped off the elevator, as the doors opened with a ding, Gibbs barking immediately falling on her ears. She strode into the bullpen, dropping her purse on her chair, listening to the end of Gibbs rant before he turned on her, his eyes the color of cobalt, "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, moving so that his face was only inches from hers, "Rule number three!"

"I am sorry Gibbs," she answered, her eyes never wavering from his.

He spun around to face the screen again, fire in his eyes; and muttered, "Don't apologize. Do somethin'. Find something."

She nodded behind him, sinking into her chair, ignoring Tony's eyes burning holes into the top of her head.

Ten minutes later, Tony shot out of his chair, slamming his phone into its hook, "Boss! Abby found somethin'. She's on her way up." In perfect timing with his statement, the elevator doors opened, and the black blur that was Abby came flying into the bullpen.

"Pull it up Tony," she ordered, motioning to his computer, referring to the email she had sent him only moments previously. He complied, and a picture appeared on the big screen almost instantly. "So I checked out the security footage, and right as the Director was leaving, a dark sports car sped out of the parking lot. It was really bad quality, and it was dark, but I managed to clean it up."

"Well," Gibbs demanded impatiently, the volume of his voice, being the only indication of his emotions. Gibbs was always angry, but he never raised his voice with Abby unless he was worried about something, extremely worried.

"Yea," she nodded, motioning to Tony again, and he clicked his mouse, bringing up an enlarged, and obviously clearer, image of the car's driver. "His name is Jesus Montoya, Columbian born, moved here with his parents when he was five. His father was part of the Mexican Drug Cartel, Mexican born. Shot in cold blood when Jesus was ten. So this guy's rap sheet is a mile long, armed robbery, larceny theft, aggravated assault, vandalism, arson, sexual assault. You name it, he's done it. Most of it was done before he was eighteen though, so it was wiped from his record."

Gibbs squinted at the screen, drawing closer. His eyes widened in realization, and he slammed his hands on his desk, "Dammit!" Grabbing his keys from his drawer, he strode out of the bullpen, pointing at Tony, "Dinozzo! You call Bethesda, and you ask for Doctor Ortiz. Then you call me!" he demanded, stepping into the elevator, "Call me!"

As the elevator doors closed behind him, he smacked the wall in anger, and hit the button for the ground floor.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he darted between them, jogging to his car. Yanking the door open, he hopped into the driver's seat, and sped out of the parking garage.

Just three minutes down the road, his phone rang, and he snatched it up, answering with a short, "Gibbs."

"_Boss. Boss there's no doctor by that name at Bethesda," Tony's anxious voice drifted through the phone, and Gibbs slammed the phone shut, tossing it back into the seat beside him; pressing harder on the gas pedal, the speedometer rising to 120._

Back at NCIS, Tony placed the phone back on its hook, and looked up into the expectant eyes of the others in the bullpen. Immediately, he started barking orders, knowing that something was wrong, other than the twins having gone missing; and he had the feeling it had something to do with their red headed leader. "Ziva call people, use your contacts, I don't care how, just do it. Abby, go find me something else to work with. McGee, you go with her."

Abby and McGee scurried off to the elevators, and Abby kept smacking the down button frantically, her mouth set in a thin line; until McGee placed his hand over hers, and she looked up at him with watery eyes. "We have to find them Tim. We're gonna find them right?"

"We'll find them Abby," he tried to reassure her, as they stepped into the elevators.

"How can you know that?" she shrieked, "How can you possibly know that? You can't Tim! You don't know if we'll find them at all, and if we do find them, they could all be dead!"

"Abby they won't be dead. And we'll find them."

"How do you know?"

"Gibbs," he replied simply, and her head fell to his shoulder.

"We have to find them Tim. We can't lose them."

"We'll find them Abby. I promise."

"Pinky swear?" she demanded, holding out her little finger.

He rolled his eyes, and smiled, "Pinky swear Abbs," hooking his finger with hers.

She eyed him a little longer for confirmation, before nodding in satisfaction. It was at that moment that the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out, into her lab.

Miles away, Jenny woke, squinting at the dim and flickering lights in the room. As her eyes grew accustomed to the lighting, she took in the filth of the dingy room around her. The floors were covered in dirt, and she swore she saw a mouse run across the floor. She felt the discomfort in her shoulders, and realized that they had been forced back, her hands bound tightly at the wrists. She moaned against the gag in her mouth, and heard a chair scrape against the floor. A man soon came into her view, and yanked the gag forcefully from her mouth. He grabbed her face roughly, a grin on his face, that could only be described as maniacal. "You're a pretty one aren't you? To bad you're pregnant. But we can take care of that easily hmm?" he said, brandishing a knife in front of her face.

Her face remained void of any emotion other than anger until he pressed the blade against her barely visible bump, and fear filled her eyes. He chuckled menacingly, before pocketing the weapon once more. "No. I won't kill you, or you bastard child. Not yet anyway."

Some of the fire from earlier returned to her eyes as she realized just who the man in front of her was. He had been her doctor at Bethesda, only, what she assumed, were hours ago. She had no idea how much time had passed, or where she was, for that matter. "Feisty," he commented with a smile, before striking her violently across her right cheek, pulling a gasp from her throat," We'll have to break you of that."

She glared at him through the curtain of crimson hair, falling into her face, feeling the sting of his blow. She was sure he had broken the skin as she felt warm liquid trickle down her face, and tasted blood. As she watched him smiling at her, rotating a serrated knife in his hand, she prayed Gibbs would find her before it was too late.

**A/N: Okay guys, so I hope you liked this chapter, and I hate to leave you hanging like this, but updates are gonna be on lockdown for a few days, because Hurricane Irene is making it's way through here on Saturday. And it's supposed to be either a category 2 or 3 when it hits us, so it will most likely knock down some trees, and probably some other things, and almost definitely the power. Anyway review please! I'll have something to make me smile when I come back. :) Have a good weekend guys! And if you're on the coast like me, be safe!**

**BTW: Gardinide isn't real lol I made it up, since I couldn't find a real poison that satisfied the way I wanted the story to develop**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! We've been out of power until today. Sucks right? Anyway, here's the new chapter. I hope you like it, and btw, be on the look out for a double update today(I'm a fast typer). I'll try my best to get it up before 12:00 tonight, since I don't sleep all that much, but I'm still not totally sure I can gurantee it. But you guys' reviews, and well wishes made me smile, just like I knew they would. :) So thanks bunches! Shout outs at the end of this chapter!**

Gibbs stormed through the doors of Bethesda, his eyes blazing. "Jennifer Shepard," he demanded of the young brunette at the receptionist's desk. She quickly assumed a look of shock and fear, and immediately went to typing, her eyes flitting up and down the computer screen.

She stopped, shifting her eyes to meet his, obviously afraid of his reaction, "I'm sorry Sir. She's no longer a patient here. She checked out an hour ago."

Gibbs took off in a sprint, down the hall, ignoring the calls of the receptionist behind him. Reaching Jenny's room he flung the door open, only to find it empty, all traces of its former red headed occupant gone. He yanked his phone from his pocket, hitting three on his speed dial.

The recipient of his call answered on the second ring, "Dinozzo."

"Dinozzo, put a trace on the Director's cell," he barked, pacing the hospital room.

"Sure thing Boss," Tony replied, doing as he was told. Then, as an afterthought, he asked, "Boss what's going on?"

"Just do it Dinozzo," Gibbs growled, his normally well concealed emotions on high.

Tony hesitated only slightly, an expression of aggravation crossing his face, before continuing, his frustrations edging into his voice, "Yea. So she's not answering, but she's been in the same spot for the last ten minutes. The last call she received was ten miles from where you are, on Hope Street. That was about five minutes ago. I'll send you the map," he finished, before repeating his earlier question, this time more demanding, "Boss what's going on?"

A lot of things had changed when Gibbs left, one of them being that Tony was no longer his 'Always Loyal St. Bernard.' His attitude was not to be mistaken for disrespect, or disloyalty. Tony still respected the former marine with everything he had, and would stick by him through just about anything; he just no longer had the jaded impression that Gibbs was invincible, or that the man could never be wrong about anything. Gibbs had yet to realize just how close the team had grown with Jenny in his absence. They were just as worried as he was; both for Jenny and the twins.

"Jenny's been kidnapped," he answered, his words clipped, before snapping the phone shut in anger; not anger at Tony, or Ziva, or Abby, or Jenny, or anyone else he had taken his anger out on that night, but himself, for the simple fact that he had failed to protect his family. Again.

Following the map Tony had sent him, Gibbs ended up on Hope Street, scouring the streets for any sign of Jenny or her phone. After five minutes of finding nothing, he got an idea, and was tempted to smack himself on the back of the head for not thinking of it earlier. He called her number, looking around the otherwise deserted street, keeping his ears open for her ring tone. He heard it before he saw it, and spun in the direction of the noise. No more than ten feet away, he saw a faint blue light on the side of the street. Nearing the glowing object, he picked it up with the sleeve of his jacket, hoping that Abby could lift prints.

The next morning, at 0700, Jenny, Angela, and the twins had been missing for eight hours, and they were still no closer to finding any of them. No one had slept or eaten since the whole debacle began, and they were all running on nothing more than their preferred caffeinated drinks.

Abby and McGee had been in her lab, since Tony had ordered them down there. Jenny's phone had been a dead end, the only prints on it being hers, Cynthia's, Gibbs', and a few smaller ones Abby assumed belonged to the twins.

Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs had spent all of their time following leads, and returning to NCIS to find new ones when those ended up getting them nowhere. Tony had been trying to get Ziva alone all night and morning, but she seemed to have developed a knack for avoiding him, even at work. She looked exhausted, more so than everyone else, and he knew something was wrong with her. He had been watching her, hoping she would catch his eye, but she had either yet to notice him, or she was simply ignoring him. He assumed it was the latter.

Jenny sat in the same spot, glaring daggers at her captor, having been trying to work her way out of her bindings, doing it in the most inconspicuous way possible. "What do you want?" she demanded of him, trying to distract him from her actions.

"Agent Gibbs took something from me. It's time I repaid the favor," he replied somewhat distractedly, walking around the dingy room, clearing a spot in the smutty window. She squinted, trying to make out any landmarks, anything that could tell her where she was; it was too dark to make out anything distinctly, but she saw no lights outside, and assumed she was somewhere outside the city.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"He killed my father," he stated simply, before continuing, "He seems to care for you, and your children. I want him to feel what I felt."

Jenny's eyes had widened in anxiety at the mention of Leilah and Jacob, but she forced any emotion from her voice as she posed her next question, "What did you do with them? Where are my kids?"

He turned to her, a knowing smile on his face, but he did not speak until he plopped down into his chair once more, "They're safe. How long they stay that way depends on Agent Gibbs, and of course, you."

"Where are they?" she demanded, grounding out her words.

"With my sister," he said simply, "That blonde who was with them, she decided to put up a fight. Not the best choice on her part," he said, his expression remaining impartial to the whole situation, and as if on cue, a pained scream echoed through the halls, of what Jenny assumed to be some kind of warehouse.

"She has nothing to do with this," Jenny bit out, fighting to keep her emotions at bay.

Jesus chuckled softly, before taking a deep breath, "She has everything to do with this. You seem to care for her, and her pain is obviously causing you pain. And your pain, causes Agent Gibbs pain."

**2100: Twenty-Two Hours Missing**

Ziva was walking out of the restroom, having gone to splash cold water on her face in an attempt to calm herself, when she was grabbed by the waist, and she spun toward her attacker in a defensive position. Upon seeing that it was Tony, she lowered her fists, though her body remained rigid. "Let go of me Tony," she demanded, the weariness in her voice altering the effect of her words.

"Ziva what's wrong?" he asked, eyeing her pointedly. She had been ignoring him since she got there, not pretending nothing had happened, just ignoring him.

"Nothing Tony. Now let go of me," she hissed, trying to wriggle out of his hold.

He held tighter to her, as he spoke, "Ziva come on. Look I'm not mad at you. I screwed up. I know. I swear Ziva, if I knew I wouldn't have said it."

She sighed, "Tony it is not the time. We will talk later."

He sighed as she walked away, heading for the bullpen, and he followed behind her, reaching for the ringing phone at his desk. "Dinozzo," he answered, pulling out a pen and paper, as the person on the other end of the phone started talking.

Everyone looked at him expectantly, as he hung up the phone. "Abby's got something," he said, heading for the elevators, intending for them to follow. Just as they reached the elevator, the doors opened, revealing Gibbs, a tray of coffees in one hand, a Caf-Pow in the other. "Abby's," Tony said in explanation, and they all stepped in as Gibbs moved back.

As the ding of the elevator announced their arrival, Abby jumped from her seat, dragging them inside. "You'll never guess what we found," she said grinning in pride.

"Abby!" Gibbs barked, and she spun to face her computer.

"Our Director is one smart lady. She took the tracking chip from her phone, and I'm guessing she has it with her, because I'm getting a reading, here," she said pointing to a blinking circle on the big screen. "And if not, it's on the way to wherever she is."

"Well what did Dinozzo get a reading from?" Gibbs demanded, and she smiled.

"She's the Director Gibbs. The one she took was her backup chip. The one Tony traced was built into the phone with her GPS function."

He placed her Caf-Pow on the counter before dashing for the elevator, Ziva on his heels. Tony followed after the two, but not before tossing a quick, "Good work Abby," over his shoulder, and Abby grinned at McGee, taking a sip of her newly acquired Caf-Pow.

Jenny had not had anything to eat or drink, other than half a bottle of water, and a piece of bread Jesus had tossed at her, eight hours previously. He had then retied her ropes tighter than before, and she had to start working at her bonds once again. She watched him closely, making sure that he was still unaware of what she was doing. "You said Gibbs killed your father," she said suddenly, and his head shot up, his eyes darkening. She continued when he gave no response, "Who was your father?"

"Pedro Hernandez," he replied, and she swallowed thickly, realizing just how long he had been holding a grudge.

**A/N: So here goes the shout outs**

**Thanks you guys for all your reviews and well wishes. Everybody is safe down here, at least the people I know. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be, but bad enough. So anyway, thanks, crs529, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, ladybugsmomma, pirate-princess1, JET1967, NCISforlife, Tony and Ziva forever, Herky Illiniwek, HuddyJibbsAddict, basket-case1880, Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape, and NCIS87!**

**Whew! Lots of people. But that makes me happy! So, if I by some terrible mistake missed you, yell at me! :)**

**Tony and Ziva forever, 100 miles! Oh my gosh! but thanks for the advice :) We actually did just that, and it's a good thing because lots of gas stations were closed down, without power.**

**Jollymonkee5613, new reader! I'm glad you liked the other one, and that you're liking this one! I hope you continue to like it as well :)**

**Random S/N: It's my mama's birthday, so happy birthday mom!(Even though she probably won't see this...tehe)**

**Okay I'm done now, really ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So I changed the ending to this chapter just because I though it fit better at the end of this chapter rather than at the beginning of the next one.**

**A/N: I tried for the double update guys! I really did, but it just wasn't happening, so I'm sorry, but here's the newest chappie! Hope you like :)**

**2330: Twenty-four Hours and Thirty Minutes Missing**

It had been two hours since Gibbs had left with Tony and Ziva, and Abby was pacing the floor of her lab, anxiously. "Timmy do you think they found them?" she asked, chewing on the straw of her Caf-Pow.

"I don't know Abby," he sighed, pausing only slightly before he spoke again. "Abby will you stop that?" he demanded, his voice gentle but commanding. Her jittery pacing was doing nothing to calm her nerves, or by proxy, his.

She stopped, turning o face him, "Why haven't they called? If they found them they would've called." she said adamantly.

"Abby the reading is four hours out. It's only been two," he reasoned, and she was silent for a few seconds, making him think he had satisfied her, but she soon found a problem in his reasoning.

"What if Ziva's driving?" she demanded, and he had to smile.

"Even if Ziva **was** driving, it would still take at least three hours to get there; but I don't think anyone would let Ziva drive, not voluntarily."

She pursed her lips, eyeing him in scrutiny, before sighing, her shoulders dropping in acquiescence. Ambling over to him, she dropped into his lap. "We have to find them Timmy," she whispered, tossing her arms around his neck, her head falling to his shoulder.

"We will Abbs," he tried to reassure her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

**0100: Twenty-six Hours Missing**

Jenny had managed to work her way out of her ropes, unbeknownst to her captor, and was simply waiting for the right time to try for escaping. For some reason she had the feeling that he was lying about Angela, and the twins; but then she remembered the screams, and she remained immobile, wanting to be certain of the risks she was taking before she did anything that could potentially put any or all of them in danger. Having been planning to be a profiler before her father's death, she had majored in behavioral psychology. Maybe if she asked him enough questions, she could determine his tell.

"Why did you poison me if you were only going to save me?" she asked from her place on the floor.

"That wasn't me. It was my idiot brother," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I wanted to kill you just the way I will. Slowly. I want Agent Gibbs to know who killed his little whore."

_He had a brother? That was news to her. _Keeping her anger under control, as she needed to prolong this as long as she could. She asked her next question, appearing nothing more than genuinely interested, "You have a brother?"

He eyed her skeptically, before assuming an impassive expression once more as he spoke, "You talk a lot."

She gave a non-committal shrug, before replying, "I'm bored." She was tired, hungry, and irritable; and her smart mouth was getting the best of her.

He smirked, his face taking on a sinister quality as he rose from his chair, moving in her direction. She glared at him, her face hard, as he drew closer. Squatting down to her level, he reached for her face, caressing the cheek he had previously split open "Oh we can fix that," he said, grinning menacingly, "Yeah. Me and you can have a little fun."

She smiled mockingly, her voice taking a sarcastic edge, "Yeah. Probably not. So…I think I'm good."

He backhanded her across the mouth, splitting her lip; but she kept silent, having already received he share of abuse from the man in front of her, despite the twenty-four hour period.

"Stupid bitch!" he spat, taking her by surprise as he dragged her across the room by her hair. Whimpering in pain, she reached up, twisting his wrist in a quick motion, hearing a satisfying snap.

He cried out in pain, and she scrambled to her feet, punching him in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, and she was sure she had broken it. She kneed him in the stomach, before swiftly striking him in the back of the head with her elbow. _You didn't spend four years in the middle of the desert with Ziva, and learn nothing. _Panting heavily, his eyes livid, he managed to throw her to the ground, her back slamming into the hard cement floor.

She heard a crack, and moaned as pain seared through her right shoulder. She saw his foot coming at her out of the corner of her eye, and instinctively covered her stomach, just as his foot connected with her ribs. She gasped as his foot connected with her body time, and time again. Yanking her roughly to her feet, her hair falling in a veil, covering her face. "Get up! You fucking whore ass bitch! Get up!" he seethed.

Grabbing a knife from the table, he held it against her neck, "That was not a good idea," he whispered menacingly, his features distorted in delirium, "I said I was going to break you of that little mean streak of yours. Well now I know just how to do it."

She tried to run, but he held her tighter, his grip bruising. Pulling a gun from his belt, he pressed it to her forehead, his words ominous, "I swear to God, you try anything, and I will not hesitate. I'll put a bullet through your head. Then all I have to do is make a call, and my sister puts a bullet through the pretty blonde and your little bastards."

She closed her eyes, her lips trembling, "I'll do it. I won't try anything I promise," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

"Good."

She closed her eyes, unzipping his pants, and she could almost hear his smile; it sickened her.

He tapped her chin with the barrel of his gun, "Look at me," he demanded, and she complied. The maniacal hunger in his eyes stopped her, fear reflected in hers.

She took a deep breath, bringing her hands up, one behind his head, the other at his cheek. She closed her eyes only briefly, but when she opened them all traces of fear were gone, vengeance replacing it. He had no time to react before she rotated her hands, putting all of her force behind it, swiftly snapping his neck. _That, she had learned from Jethro._

She stood up from her place on his lap, her breathing labored. It had been years since she was in the field, and even then, she had never come even remotely close to what she had just done.

Taking in his neck, bent at an odd angle, his eyes wide open and lifeless; shock reflected in them, she tried to swallow the bile rising in her throat, but failed, heaving up what little she had eaten, all over the floor. Wiping her mouth on the scrubs, she had woken in, she pushed herself to her feet; thinking about how she had wound up in them made her want to vomit all over again. Her gut, as Gibbs would call it, and maybe a little maternal instinct, were telling her that her children were not there; but that still begged the question, _where were they?_ She needed to get out though, before anyone else who could be in that building discovered what she had done. Her captor had mentioned a brother, who was obviously part of everything. He could be i n the building somewhere. There was no way she could stay in that room, just waiting for him to discover her. She had not had anything to drink for some time; exactly how long, she was unsure. She was sure he had broken a rib, and her body was starting to ache. She would not be able to disarm anyone else, certainly not one of her former captor's build.

She remembered the long forgotten chip she had taken from her phone, wondering where it had fallen. Jesus had knocked her out with something the moment he realized she had woken; and wherever she had been, she had dropped it. She tried the door, only to find it locked. She looked around for other means of escape, her gaze soon landing on the window across the room. Her eyes flitted over the room, in search of anything to break the window with. Swallowing thickly, she walked toward the dead man slumped in his chair; she seized the gun dangling from his fingers. She unloaded it, before throwing it through the window, the glass shattering in front of her. She tried to clear the stray shards of glass, hissing as one imbedded itself in her finger. Hoisting her self up, she jumped down from the window, her bare feet landing softly on grass.

She exhaled, looking around her. There was nothing but grass, trees, and darkness for miles. Turning to face the building, she assumed she was at the back, and moved as stealthily as possible. As she made her way around the building, she spotted a window, and assumed that it was another room. She took a deep breath before peeking into it, hoping that she was not seen. She could not leave without making certain that neither her children nor Angela would be left there. She cleared the dirt from the window, gasping at the sight inside. Even through the dust of the inside window, she could make out a body on the floor, one body. It was quite plainly the corpse of a woman, but she exhaled in relief at seeing dark hair, rather than blonde. If Angela had been there, she had already escaped, and for that Jenny was grateful. She only hoped that Gibbs had found her, as well as the twins.

The team had left NCIS, three hours earlier, sans McGee. They had taken two cars in the hopes of finding both Angela and the twins, as well as Jenny, alive. Ziva driving one car, Gibbs the other, they were making good time. Barreling down the back roads of Arlington, despite the dirt flying up at their windshields, both drivers almost missed the blonde stumbling into the road. It registered with Gibbs first, and he skidded to a stop, throwing the gearshift into reverse. Jumping out of his car, he slammed the driver's door behind him, Tony on his heels. Despite his challenged eyesight, he could plainly make out the woman illuminated by his headlights. "Angela?" he called, his strides quick and determined.

She looked to him, sighing in relief, "Jethro." Much to the shock of the ex Marine, her voice gave no signs of anxiety, only relief, at seeing him. Her appearance though, completely contradicted her voice. Her blonde tresses were tangled, and matted with blood; her face covered in cuts and abrasions. Her clothes were ripped sporadically, as if they had caught repeatedly on something, and the entirety of her was covered in sweat and dirt. The small children in her arms were covered in dirt as well, screaming at the top of their lungs, their faces bright red in exertion and fear.

Ziva, who had been in the lead, had only moments ago realized he had stopped. She had mimicked his earlier actions, shifting into reverse. Just as she came up next to them, Gibbs was taking the twins from Angela. Buried deep under the overwhelming feelings of relief, she felt a pang of anguish at seeing the babies in his arms. Knowing that she could never have that, especially after establishing to herself that she wanted it, killed her. Soon though, any feelings of self-pity were pushed to the back of her mind as it hit her that Jenny was not with them. She waited in anticipation as Gibbs posed the question she had been ready to ask.

"Angela, where's Jenny?" he demanded softly.

She shook her head, shoving a hand through her tangled locks, wincing as she brushed the spot where she had been hit, "I don't know. He just came out of nowhere. As soon as I stepped in the house."

He nodded, his jaw clenching in an attempt to keep the feelings of anxiety washing over him, at bay. When he spoke again, his voice was controlled, yet commanding, "Dinozzo take my car. Get them back to NCIS. Have Ducky take a look at 'em. Or get them to a hospital, whatever's faster." Stepping into Ziva's car, he spoke again, this time directing the statement at the Israeli, "Ziva, with me."

As Jenny made her way to the front of the building, she spotted a seemingly abandoned car parked haphazardly in the grass. After determining that no one was watching her, she made a dash for the vehicle, searching for a pair of keys. Fortunately for her, she felt a pair on the floor by her foot. She reached down, sticking them in the ignition. Turning the key in the ignition, she groaned as the car sputtered. "Come on," she muttered, "Come on! Come on!" Her eyes darted up every so often, sure the brother had heard her by now. She exclaimed in triumph when the car roared to a start, and she pressed hard on the gas pedal. She looked up into the rearview mirror to see a man pulling out behind her in a truck. She pressed harder on the gas, her gaze wary. Her first clear thought was to call Gibbs, but she then remembered that she without her cell phone. She prayed that by some miracle, someone had left a phone in the car. Searching frantically with her hands, she tried, and failed to keep her eyes on the road. She sighed in exasperation at finding no means of communication anywhere, not that she had really been expecting to.

Through the dirt covering her windshield, alongside the the distraction of searching for a phone, she had no idea where she was going. She was driving blind. She screamed as the car jerked suddenly, and she went flying into the roadside lake.

Jenny's car sunk to the bottom of the lake, and she tried to regulate her breathing, despite the water already leaking in through all of the crevices and cracks in the car. She held her breath, trying to push the door open, only to find it stuck. She started to panic at the rate of the water filling up the car. She banged on the window, and pushed on the door again to no avail.

The water had already filled the car to her waist, and she yanked on her seatbelt, only to find it jammed as well.

Her eyes widened in fear as she realized that she was going to die. There was no way Gibbs would find her in time. Even if Abby had managed to track her chip, he was probably still miles away. She took in a full breath of air, holding her breath as long as she could, as the water reached her chin, soon covering her eyes, meeting the roof of the car.

Soon her vision started to go hazy, and she felt herself losing the fight to stay awake. Her only comforting thought as her eyes closed, was that her children were safe. She only hoped their father would not let them forget her.

**A/N: ****They talk about mom's lifting cars and stuff. Weeell...Jenny snaps necks :D And EEEP! What's going to happen to Jenny? Hehe review please!**

**So I'm easing into some McAbby obviously, and Tony and Ziva, they're going to figure it out in the next chappie!**

**Aaaah! 12 reviews for last chapter! Awesomeness :) You guys are amazing, and I'm glad you're liking the direction of the story :)**

**Shoutouts!**

**basket-case1880, Tempe4Booth, Prettycrazy, ladybugsmomma, DS2010, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, Fiva4Tiva, mysterywriter94, Tony and Ziva forever, Herky Illiniwek, pirate-princess1, Jollymonkee5613**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for the review guys! 13 for last chapter! Woah!**

**Operation Paris****, ****Stormygrl0804****, ****pirate-princess1****, ****JiBbS-tIvA4eVs****, ****Herky Illiniwek****, ****DS2010****, ****NCISforlife****, ****Prettycrazy****, ****ladybugsmomma****, ****Jollymonkee5613****, ****probieprincess****, ****lachildress****, ****basket-case1880****, you guys are the best!**

Both Gibbs and Ziva had seen the car run off the road from slightly less than a mile away. As the other car sped away at top speed, Gibbs got the sickening feeling in his gut that it was Jenny, who had been run off the road. When, by the time they reached her, she still had not resurfaced, Gibbs started to panic.

Commanding Ziva to stay on land, he dropped his coat, and dived into the murky lake. He swam to the rusty, old car at the bottom of the shallow lake. His heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of Jenny; unconscious, her eyes closed, lips slightly parted; her red hair swirled around her head with the movements of the water, while her head had lolled limply to the side.

He yanked on the door, only to find it stuck. He pulled harder, putting all his strength behind it, but it was to no avail. He pushed himself to the top of the lake, ignoring Ziva's look of anxiety at not returning with Jenny. He waded over to his coat, pulling his knife from the pocket, before submerging himself under the water once more. Swimming to the car, he struck the window with the butt of his knife, ignoring the cuts the blade was making on his fingers. Finally, the window cracked, and with one more jab, the force of the water shattered the glass. He yanked on her seat belt, but at finding that it was jammed as well, he cut the slit through the belt, and pulled her from the car.

Ziva waited anxiously, and she was about to jump in herself when Gibbs resurfaced, Jenny's lifeless body in his arms. Ziva helped him drag her up onto the bank, while he pushed himself out of the water, his breathing heavy. He smoothed her hair away from her face and proceeded to administer mouth-to-mouth.

Even after three cycles, she was still unresponsive, but this only made Gibbs more determined to save her. "Come on Jen," he whispered, counting the chest presses in his head, before breathing into her mouth again. "Come on Jenny!" he commanded, his voice more desperate, "Come on Jenny, don't do this."

He stopped only for a moment, tapping her face, "Jenny wake up dammit!"

Ziva's eyes started to water at seeing her friend lying there that way. She had hoped to never see her look like that again.

_Flashback_

_They had been held captive for eight days already, with no food, and hardly a drop of water. _

_Ziva, having been in such situations before, was faring far better than her red headed counterpart._

_Jenny was ready to beg for death. She had been held captive before; it was a risk of her job, but never so long or in such extreme conditions. She had nothing to live for anyway. Her father was dead, she hadn't spoken to her mother or her sister in years, and she had left the first man she had ever really loved, for her job. There were no children either. No one would miss her if she were gone._

_She turned to her Israeli partner, who seemed to be doing far better than herself. "Ziva," she struggled, dehydration making her voice hoarse._

_Ziva snapped her head to her right to look at her in surprise. Neither of them had spoken in three days, in attempt to conserve what energy they had left._

"_Ziva, you have to go without me," Jenny rasped._

_The Israeli eyed her, her gaze hard and determined, "Jenny I will not leave you here. We are partners. We will get out together, or we will die together."_

"_Ziva. I can't. I won't make it. If you get the chance, go. With, or without me."_

"_We will both get out Jenny."_

_It was not until two days later, that they got their chance. Two men came in, bearing food. They were much younger than their original captors, and obviously less experienced. Both women had worked their way out of their ropes, but it was only Ziva who could fight. Even dehydrated, and half starved, with her training, she managed to disble both men quickly. Little did she know, the youngest of them had a bomb. She heard the dreaded beeping increasing, and she ran across the room, dragging Jenny with her. She just managed to throw the both of them to the ground when the bomb exploded. She had covered her ears, shielding her partner and friend with her body. _

_Once the smoke had cleared, she looked down to see the red head unconscious, her body limp and lifeless. She looked around behind her, taking in the scattered remains of the bombers. Soon, she heard a series of bombs going off, and assumed their captors had already evacuated, and were getting rid of any evidence of their cell. _

_Coughing, and tossing Jenny's arm over her shoulder, she treaded across the room, dragging her partner with her. She threw the door open, praying she had been right about the men evacuating, because she could not fend off anyone else, and get both herself and Jenny out alive._

_She made her way through the halls of the abandoned cell, and pushed the front door open, squinting at the harsh desert light. She walked until they got a ride, and they made it into town, where Jenny received medical care, and the both of them received water and food. _

_When Jenny woke, she was surprised to find herself in a hospital bed, and to see Ziva sitting in a chair beside her. They looked at each other. Ziva's eyes showed no resentment, or anger, or any signs of wanting any words of thanks, or that any debt was owed. Only relief was reflected there, and Jenny's eyes showed a mixture of awe, gratitude, and disbelief._

_Her only words were, "You saved my life."_

_The young Israeli took that as thanks, and smiled, "You are my partner."_

_End Flashback_

Ziva was pulled from her thoughts by Jenny's choking. She watched as the red head coughed up water, ending in gasps. Gibbs held her head in his hands, placing a kiss to her forehead. Ziva watched him whisper words heard only by the woman for whom they were meant, and she smiled softly.

Jenny started to shiver, and Gibbs pulled his coat from its place by the river, tossing it around her before lifting her into his arms, and sliding into the backseat with her. Ziva took that as her indication to drive, and hopped into the driver's seat, speeding back the way they had come.

In the backseat Gibbs, held Jenny close to him as her eyes closed in exhaustion, and he hoped Ziva would get them to Bethesda in time. When they got there, he would make sure he stayed that time. There would not be a repeat of the past twenty-six hours, not ever.

Tony pulled into the parking lot of Bethesda, taking both twins from Angela, helping the blonde from the car. He had called the hospital on the way there, explaining what had happened, describing his car, so that when he drove up they had nurses, doctors, and a stretcher waiting for them. The doctors got Angela onto the stretcher, while two nurses moved forward, taking the twins from his arms. He was torn between comforting the blonde, and following behind the twins.

She quickly made the decision for him, her voice weak but stern. "Go with them," she ordered as the doctors rolled her away.

He hesitated only slightly before jogging after the nurses carrying the babies.

Fifteen minutes from Bethesda, Ziva sent a quick look back at her friend in the backseat, pulling out her phone. She was still shivering, and her lips were starting to tint blue around the edges.

The phone rang only once before a woman picked up, "Bethesda Naval Medical Center."

Ziva explained the situation to the receptionist at the other end of the line, and making certain to mention Jenny's title. She managed to get the guarantee that they would have doctors waiting to take Jenny when they arrived.

Ziva sped into the Bethesda Emergency Lane, thirteen minutes later. Doctors and nurses rushed to the vehicle as Gibbs lifted Jenny from the backseat. The doctors and nurses moved her to the stretcher, and Jenny's eyes fluttered as she reached for Gibbs' hand. "Jethro," she whispered, and he slid his hand into hers, watching as her eyes closed once more.

"Here Jen." He was not sure if she was simply too weak to show any fear, or if she was truly unafraid. Even as she reached for his hand, her movements had a graceful air to them. She had not shown desperation as was expected in a situation like hers. He turned to Ziva, who was behind him, voicing his next thought, "The twins."

Ziva nodded, and hurried off to the receptionist's desk to acquire any information about either Angela or the twins, as Jenny was rolled away, presumably to the ICU. Walking up to the desk, she was greeted by a cheery young blonde, "Hi! How can I help you?"

"Angela Azarov. She was admitted with two infant children. They are the children of the Director of NCIS. I need their conditions."

"Your relationship to them?" the receptionist asked, typing in their information.

"I am the children's aunt," she replied, the lie easily rolling off her tongue.

The receptionist eyed her skeptically before answering hesitantly, "Angela Azarov…Room 341. Admitted with blunt force trauma to the head, grade two concussion, and a dislocated shoulder. She is stable, but unconscious. The doctors administered morphine for the pain. But she should make a full recovery," she finished with a smile.

"The children?" Ziva inquired, fearing that the woman was putting off telling her about them for a reason.

"Leilah and Jacob Shepard?" she asked in confirmation, and at Ziva's nod continued, "Both were dirty, cold, tired and hungry. We cleaned them up, and fed them. We're going to watch them closely for any complications. But Doctor Keller should be able to tell you more. He's the pediatric specialist, and he'll be taking care of them for as long as they're here."

"Thank you. Where can I see them?" Ziva asked, relieved, that as far as they knew they were all alright. Now there was just Jenny.

"NICU."

Ziva nodded, and turned on her heel, intent on finding Gibbs, only to run straight into Tony. "Tony!" she breathed in surprise.

"Sorry Zi," he apologized, his hands still at her shoulders, where he had placed them in an attempt to stabilize her, preventing them both from falling.

"It's alright Tony. I was not looking where I was going."

"Look Ziva, I need to talk to you."

"Tony," she started, but was promptly cut off by him.

"Don't say it's not the time because that's all you've said lately."

She clamped her mouth shut and eyed him pointedly, "Fine."

"Cafeteria?" he proposed, and she nodded in agreement.

Once they had purchased their respective coffees, they sat down at a table in the farthest corner of the room, distancing themselves from the few people there. They both sat in silence, waiting for the other to speak, but it was Tony who had to start, ultimately.

"Ziva, I messed up bad. I was angry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said to you. I realized that I needed to support you, whatever you did, and I wanted to tell you that, but you've been ignoring me ever since that night." he said, hoping she would add something, some type of input. When she did not, choosing instead to stir her coffee, he sighed before continuing, "I should've come. To the doctor's appointment. I should've been there for you. And I wasn't. Guess I just screwed up all around."

She was silent for awhile, string aimlessly into space, before returning her full attention to him. "I changed my mind," she said, biting her lip.

"Wait you're pregnant still?" he asked incredulously, joy creeping into his eyes.

She shook her head, diverting her eyes from his once more, and took a deep breath, "No."

He eyed her in confusion, "I thought you said you changed your mind. What do you mean?"

She looked back up at him, a sad smile on her face, "I decided that I wanted the child enough that I would quit Mossad, do anything it took to keep it."

Her statement only heightened his confusion, and it showed on his face. Her smiled dropped, and she swallowed thickly, fighting the tears pricking at her eyes. "There was no baby Tony. I miscarried. The doctor said that it just stopped developing."

He stared at her in shocked silence. He had prepared himself for losing the child, but not in such a way as they had. Then the guilt hit him like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry Ziva," he whispered, "I should have been there. I knew I shoul've been there. you shouldn't have had to do that alone.

"No. Tony you were respecting my wishes, and for that I am grateful. For that, I love you." she stressed, not wanting him to feel any guilt over the whole situation.

"It'll be okay Ziva," he comforted her, reaching across the table for her hand.

She chuckled wryly, "No Tony it will not. I said that I did not want the child. That is probably why I lost it."

"No Ziva," he contradicted her, his voice fierce, "You never said you didn't want the baby. You made your decision to protect the baby. Things like this happen sometimes. It's not your fault."

"If you say so Tony," she replied her voice taking an edge of both sarcasm and the desire to feel that statement was true.

He stared at her, trying to read her, before hesitantly asking, "Ziva, do you still want a baby?"

**A/N: Come on you guys didn't think I would really kill her did you! Thought about it for about a split second, but nope :) And I guess next chappie is the baby chapter :D We get to hear about how Jenny's little peanut is doing, if there's even a little peanut left(mwahahaha) ****and if Ziva and Tony decide to try for a little baby ninja!**

**Kay so I hope you liked it, and you know, keep leaving lots of reviews like you have been! They make me super uber happy! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry this one got posted so late in the day guys. I had a killer headache today, and I just kind of needed to sleep it off. But I hope you like the new chapter anyway, and that it's up to the usual standards. :)**

**Shout out time!**

**Kay so, even though all my reviews make me uber happy, lately when I read a review where someone tells me that they're new to a particular story, or just my stories in general, or even if someone just leaves an exceptionally sweet/thoughtful review, I either try to give them their own shoutout or PM them.**

**So first things first I have to thank a very sweet person, sciuto8, who is super new to fanfiction, and read both this story, and its predecessor, and left one of the sweetest reviews I ever read. :) Made me smile for about five minutes straight. So thank you sciuto8 for that, and I hope you continue to like the story! :) Thanks for the favorite/alert too!**

**Okay, so now to everybody else! Jollymonkee5613, Herky Illiniwek, Fiva4Tiva, ladybugsmomma, basket-case1880, lachildress, Prettycrazy, pirate-princess1, and NCISforlife, luv you guys and your awesome reviews! Thanks a gazillion bunches! :) I hope everybody continues to like the story!**

Ziva looked at her lover, contemplating his words. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell him that she was ready to leave her life in Israel behind, become a U.S. Citizen, and become a real NCIS Agent, not just a liaison officer; that she wanted to settle down with him in America and start a family, with a white fence and a puppy. But that was not who they were, and her statement completely contradicted the pictures that had only briefly flashed through her mind, "No." At seeing his face fall slightly, she felt the need to elaborate, "Tony, with our jobs, anything could happen. I mean look what has happened with Jenny. Tony I do want children with you one day, but there is too much happening to think about it now."

He nodded resignedly, knowing that she was right, but even so, he would have been ready had he said yes, "You're probably right."

She smiled softly, "Yea. We can talk more when we get home, but let's see how Jenny is doing."

He nodded in agreement, standing from his place on the chair, as she did the same. As they exited the cafeteria, there was a closeness in their movements that had been missing, even before the baby and the miscarriage.

Two hours later, everyone was sitting in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting any news on Jenny's condition, and by proxy, the baby's. Gibbs had been prevented from entering the ICU with her, much to his contempt. For the first thirty minutes, he had simply paced the width of the waiting room, ignoring the anxious eyes following him. Now, he sat in an uncomfortable hospital chair, staring aimlessly into space, though his eyes were as sharp in thought as ever.

Tony and Ziva sat next to each other, their hands intertwined, an action hidden from Gibbs by nothing more than Tony's knee, and the man's lessened sense of awareness. Their faces reflected each other's, with an expression of both impatience and anxiety.

Ducky, Abby, and McGee had joined the group an hour earlier, courtesy of a phone call from Tony. Ducky was seated in a chair opposite Tony, while Abby sat next to Gibbs, Tim at her side. All but Gibbs had seen the twins. Their small bodies had been overwhelmed by monitors, and wires, and machines. No one had had the strength to stay but so long, and it was a given why Gibbs had not been to visit them yet.

The doors busted open, and everyone's heads shot up, as they had been doing every time a door had been opened in the past two hours. This time though, the doctor spoke the words they all wanted to hear, "Family for Jennifer Shepard?" and they all shot to their feet.

The doctor was quite visibly taken aback at the size of their group, but quickly redeemed himself with his next request, "Only the immediate family please."

It was Gibbs who spoke, a mix of impatience and fierceness in his voice. "We're all her family," he stressed, his gaze never wavering, even as the doctor eyed them all in scrutiny.

"Ms. Shepard has developed an infection called Pontiac Fever. It's normally caused by Legionella bacterium. And judging by her reasons for being admitted, I would assume that she picked it up in the lake water. We've administered the antibiotics and hopefully, it won't develop into anything worse. Pontiac fever is a mild form of Legionnaires' disease that resembles acute influenza. We are going to monitor her closely to ensure that it does not develop into a more severe case, where she will start to develop severe pneumonia, which is far more concerning."

"What about the baby?" Abby demanded indomitably.

Everyone listened in anticipation, their stomachs dropping as the doctor took a deep breath, before starting hesitantly, "We had some trouble finding the heartbeat."

Abby gasped clamping a hand over her mouth, only to be calmed once more by the doctor's next words, "We did manage to get a heartbeat. Now it is a little weaker than I would like at the moment, but we're monitoring the unborn child as well. It's a possibility that it could be sleeping right now, and we'll pick up a stronger reading later in the night," he took a deep breath once more, and they all picked up on the fact that something was wrong. When he continued, his voice was full of regret, "I do have to warn you of possible complications though. This incident does considerably heighten the chances for, premature delivery, neonatal infections, or even the child being stillborn. Now this doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen, just that there's a higher chance. There is always a chance, obviously."

"So that means that the baby could be perfectly healthy. Right?" Abby demanded, her voice betraying her emotions.

"Absolutely," the doctor agreed, before continuing, "Now, Ms. Shepard does have a few more injuries, non fatal though, I assure you. She has two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a split lip, a black eye, and her cheek was split open. We got stitches on that and her ribs are wrapped up. If you choose to see her, I have to warn you, she looks pretty bad, but it really does look much worse than it is. But when she wakes up, she is going to be in pain. We couldn't administer morphine as we normally do for patients with multiple wounds, due to the pregnancy. We will however, do our best to keep her as comfortable as possible."

"So we can see her?" Gibbs asked, that being the only bit of information he drew from the doctor's words.

"Yes, but she is sleeping at the moment, and you can only go in one at a time. And I'll be on call for another four hours."

It was Ducky who spoke this time, "Thank you Doctor," effectively ending the conversation. Jenny's doctor nodded, before walking off, presumably to see his next patient.

"I'll go last," Gibbs announced, "and stay the night with her." At his offer, everyone nodded, though they had not expected it, and it was under silent but unanimous decision that Ziva would see her first.

The Israeli walked down the hall to her friend's room, taking a deep breath before entering. She gasped softly at the sight before her. The doctor had been right. She looked terrible. She was hooked up to a multitude of wires, a nasal canulla, and an IV. Her right arm was encased in a sling, while her left eye was purpling and swollen. She had butterfly stitches closing up, what Ziva assumed, was the wound the doctor had spoken of, on her cheek.

She slowly made her way to her friend's bed, taking her pale hand in her darker one. "Jenny you must get better. Leilah, and Jacob. They are alright, but I know they would like to see you. We would all like to see you out of this hospital bed. Targishi tov hachever sheli. Chalomot ne'imim" she finished, squeezing Jenny's hand once more before exiting the room.

As walked back into the waiting room, Tony rose from his chair, being the next to go. He followed the white walls of the hospital hallway as Ziva had done, hesitating only slightly before opening the door. He stopped in the doorway, taking in all of the wires and monitors the red head in the bed was hooked up to. The sight had taken him by surprise; he had never seen their 'fearless leader' looking so frail. She was always had a smart comeback to just about anything, and was ready to go to blows with anyone, anywhere, if need be. The fiery red heads stereotype certainly complied with her personality.

After Gibbs had left, and he had taken over the team, the two of them had gotten closer; he had come to know her not just as the Director, but Jenny as well. He had learned that they had a lot in common. They had a similar sense of humor, and they both were movie connoisseurs. They had shared stories about Gibbs, laughed about it, and reminisced. He walked until he stood next to her bed, speaking softly so as not to wake her, "Hey Jenny. You really gotta get better. You know, start screaming at the doctors and nurses and stuff. Everybody's worried, especially Gibbs. He won't say it, but you can see it. And Gibbs, you know he never shows any emotions. Except anger. He even stopped being angry. Last time that happened, it was when Kate died." He sighed, looking down at her feeble form before exiting room.

Ducky went in next. As he entered the room, the sight before him brought back memories of their ops in Europe. He saw not the hardened persona of the Director, but the young Jenny Shepard, lying in the hospital bed looking very much unlike herself. Her normally ivory skin was paler than normal, taking on a sickly shadow. He dropped into the chair at her bedside, his thoughts wandering back to that time before he spoke, "Really Jennifer. You and Jethro are quite the pair. It seems trouble just seems to find the two of you. I can only imagine what your children will be like," he murmured, a smile on his face. When he started again, he began one of his stories, "You know Jennifer this reminds me of that time in London…"

Duck spent far more time in the room than the others had, reminiscing, regardless of whether its occupant could hear him or not. When he did finally re-enter the waiting room, he expected either Abby or McGee to stand, but to his surprise, it was Gibbs.

As he stood, the silver haired man eyed the young Goth pointedly, only to have her shake her head, "I can't Gibbs," she whispered, her eyes bloodshot and watery, presumably from tears.

Gibbs nodded, heading in the direction of Jenny's room while the rest of them stood, preparing to leave. He stopped, turning, and called his team to him. Once they stood in front of him, he directed his question at Ziva, "Ziva do you remember that license plate." She nodded, knowing precisely which plate he was referring to, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of catching one of Jenny's captors. "Good," he said, then turning to McGee, "McGee, you go with her back to NCIS. Run those plates through every database, then you follow whatever lead it gets you."

He looked to the last member of his team, who was eyeing him expectantly. "Dinozzo, get out to the scene. See if you can find anything to identify that car, or it's driver. Ziva'll get you a map. Go over everything, bag and tag, everything. Then go over it again. It's the only thing we've got."

The trio nodded, taking off, but Tony turned back calling out to his boss, "Hey Boss! You'll tell us if anything happens right?"

"Yeah Dinozzo. I'll tell ya," he yelled, his back still turned to the younger man. Tony was immobile for a second before nodding in satisfaction, jogging after the others.

Gibbs traveled through the unnaturally white halls of the hospital. He reached Jenny's room, resting his hand on the handle before pushing the door open. He entered the room silently, dropping into the chair by her bed, where he planned to stay until she was released.

**A/N: Aah! So baby peanut is in jeopardy, possibly. So there was no way I could kill Jenny, but it would be way too unrealistic to have her go through all that stuff and come out all fine and dandy(oh yea, I said dandy :D) And Ziva says no mini ninja yet(stress on yet *wink*) I guess you just have to keep reading to see what happens :D Tehe so I hope you liked it! And thanks again guys for all your awesome reviews!**

**Translation: Targishi tov hachever sheli. Chalomot ne'imim is Hebrew for, Get better my friend. Sweet dreams.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey guys! So I hope you like this chappie! It's a little shorter than my most recent ones though. And thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter, and to those of you who favorited and/or alerted the story! :) Anywayzzzz, hope you like it!**

It had been three hours, and they had come up with no leads; no helpful leads anyhow. The only thing Tony had gotten from the scene was that the car was a midnight blue, and that it had taken off the back bumper of Jenny's car. The only thing they had to go on was that it would be damaged.

Ziva had run through the details of the car that she remembered dark colored, triangular headlights, long hood, short deck, and a continuously sloping roofline. The two of them had come to the same conclusion, confirmed by the computer, a Nissan 350Z. With a bit of time, and some more fine-tuned thinking, Ziva had been able to recall a few more select details, low rumble to the engine, but more of a growl as it accelerated.

The two women had called Tony, albeit reluctantly, and he had determined that it was most likely a 2004 model with a 3.5 L engine.

Abby had entered all of the details into the computer, as well as the license plate, and they only had to wait for a match to turn up. She had assumed it would only take thirty minutes at most, but when thirty minutes turned into sixty, and sixty into eighty, she started to get aggravated. Now, an hour and forty minutes later, nothing had come up. The search results had come up negative, and she had run them again, and now she was running them again.

She paced the width of her lab, fuming angrily. It never took her so long to get a result especially when she had so many details to go on. Now, it really mattered. It was for Jenny. Not that any other case was unimportant, but it was just different. She didn't even look up, even as the elevator doors opened with a ding; she knew exactly who it was. "No Tim! I don't have anything! Tell Tony for the gazillionth time that I'll call him when I find something!"

When she heard neither a response nor the sound of retreating footsteps, her head shot up, her expression peevish, soon turning to one of shock at seeing that it was not McGee in her lab, but Gibbs. "Gibbs!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Can't breathe Abbs," he groaned, and she quickly released him, an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry," she apologized before looking at him in confusion. "Why are you here and not at the hospital?" she asked before yet another expression crossed her face, this time in panic, "Oh my God is Jenny okay? She's okay right? Gibbs why did you just leave her there?"

"Ducky's with her Abbs. What do ya got?" he asked, placing a Caf-Pow on her desk.

"Nothing," she pouted, but her expression brightened at the next thought, "But maybe this will help," she said, reaching for the super caffeinated drink. "I've run everything three times Gibbs! And nothing! This just doesn't happen to me. I mean I'm really good at what I do. I'm not being conceited, just confident. I'm confident in what I do Gibbs!" she finished, her voice an octave higher than usual.

"I know Abby. What did you try?"

"Everything Gibbs! I ran it, and re-ran it with everything Ziva told me, and Tony even figured out what year the car was made. I tried every single combination of taking stuff out, and adding stuff in. I should have something by now Gibbs. I'm letting her down!"

"You're not letting her down Abbs," Gibbs soothed the young Goth, bringing her to him, placing a kiss on her forehead, before exiting the lab, the customary ding of the elevator signaling his departure.

Abby pursed her lips in thought, going back to editing the details, and groaned when it didn't work. Then, she got an idea, biting her lip, hoping she was right.

Tony looked up at the ding of the elevator, to see Gibbs stepping out of it. He eyed him inquisitively, "Abby got anything Boss?"

"No," Gibbs replied, striding to the center of the room, staring at the big screen, "What else do we have?"

Tony spoke first, "Uh...I'm making calls to all the auto dealerships and mechanics in that area. See if anybody brought in a midnight blue 350Z with damage to the front bumper," he said, returning his attention to the phone call at hand as he was pulled off of hold, "Yeah midnight blue."

Gibbs turned his attention back to Ziva who was screaming into a phone as well, "No do not tell me that you can not understand me. I have spoken to you in nearly every dialect of Spanish possible. It does not vary that much! No! Do not put me on…!" she muttered something undistinguishable under her breath before directing her attention apologetically at Gibbs, "I am sorry Gibbs, I have not gotten anywhere either. I am trying to call all of the mechanics where the owners did not, or claimed not to speak English, or Italian," she said motioning to Tony, in reference to his heritage, and understanding of the language.

Before he could turn to McGee, his most senior agent grabbed his attention once more. "Boss! Okay so Mickey's Mechanics, about fifty miles from that lake, towed a car matching the description, on the side of the road, say thirty minutes or so ago. Everything but the license plate. It's a long shot, but it's something. Maybe we're just missing a few letters on the license plate."

"Take Ziva with you," Gibbs ordered, and the dark haired woman caught his eye nodding in understanding.

"Yes thank you for your help Mr. Rodriguez," she hastily thanked the man, at the other end of the conversation, slamming the phone into its cradle before grabbing her gear, standing to meet an already waiting Tony, and they ran off towards the elevators.

Just as the elevator doors closed, behind them Gibbs phone rang. "Gibbs," he barked in response to the call, not bothering to check the caller ID. Abby's exited voice rang through the phone, at an obviously elevated volume, but Gibbs only nodded, with a, "Be right down Abbs."

Snapping the phone shut, he set off toward the elevators, "Abby's got something," McGee on his heels.

Several seconds later, the two men stepped off the elevator onto Abby's floor. As they walked through the doors of her lab, she turned to face them, an exuberant grin on her face, "You guys are gonna love me," she promised, spinning back to her computer as they stepped up behind her, "Okay. Gibbs. You have to be like some super muse or something, because right after you left, I got the biggest idea. I had a random thought about how my Uncle Larry got really mad at his babysitter, Samantha, when he was like twelve. So anyway, he was really smart, but he always did really bad things with it. He's actually in jail for fraud right now," she stopped in thought before continuing, "Right so anyway, he got mad 'cause she wouldn't let him stay up late, so he switched her plates to her car with his dad's suspended ones. My grandpa liked to drive too fast."

"Abby," Gibbs growled, cutting her off.

"Oh there's a point Gibbs. I promise," she assured him, a smile still on her face.

"Then make it."

"Okay. So it made me think, what if that's what this guy did? Maybe he switched the plates from his car, and that's why I couldn't get a match. So I ran just the plates, and I got a match!" she squealed, pointing to the car on the computer, "To this. A teal, '96 Dodge Caravan. Plates reported missing two days ago." She finished with a triumphant smile.

"Good work Abby," Gibbs said, striding from the lab. McGee smiled at Abby before following Gibbs lead, darting between the elevator doors just as they closed.

In the elevator, Gibbs pulled out his cell phone, dialing a familiar number. The recipient of his call answered on the third ring, _"What's up Boss?"_

"Dinozzo. The plates were switched with another car. That's our car. Get me a name."

_"Got it Boss."_

Gibbs nodded, unseen by Tony, before snapping the phone shut.

Thirty minutes away, Jenny woke, to an empty room, as Ducky had just left for coffee. She immediately registered the pain searing through her entire body. She fluttered her eyes, clearing them of sleep before glancing across the room, taking in the dim lighting provided only by the lights of the machines and the few lights in the hospital hallway. She tried to recall what she could be doing there, and it all came rushing back, but the thing that stood out most of all was the thought that she should be dead. She had no recollection of anything past driving into the lake.

It was then that she took notice of the slight weight at her arm. She lifted her wrist taking in the strangely familiar silver chain bracelet hanging there. She turned her to arm so that she could see the inside of her wrist. She could barely make out the fact that there was an engraving there, but as she brought it closer to her face, she was able to read the words, and her head fell back into the pillows, a soft smile gracing her face as she closed her eyes, forcing back the hot tears that were threatening to overflow. Engraved into the plate on the back were the words, 'Kelly Loves Daddy.'

**A/N: Awww! Gibbs loves her, you know he does :D So yay! Jenny's awake! Finally! And they're well on their way to catching the jerk that put her and baby peanut in jeopardy in the first place, thanks to Abby, as always :)Wonder how Ducky actually got Gibbs to leave...Hmm... :) Hope you liked it! Review please, you know how happy they make me. :D Kay TOODLES!**

**Goodness that caffeine and sugar is causing trouble again... :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Yay! Over 155 Reviews! Oh my Goodness! Thanks so much you guys! You're the best! I don't even care that it's not another ten reviews yet. I have to do shout outs to everybody who ever reviewed this story lol :)**

**theonlyxception, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, pirate-princess1, Tempe4Booth, ladybugsmomma, Fiva4Tiva, lachildress, Jollymonkee5613, sciuto8, Herky Illiniwek, Prettycrazy,****NCISforlife, Operation Paris, Stormygrl0804, DS2010, probieprincess, basket-case1880, mysterywriter94, Tony and Ziva forever, NCIS87, crs529, JET1967, HuddyJibbsAddict, Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape, g2lovencis, DreamerChild88, TheBreakfastGenie, Butterfly Queen 123456, Broken Piece of the Puzzle, Paige Joy, jessey, r u ok, NilesLover101, eoforever and ever, NCISninja12, Kyp, Sm1leyFac3s, greeklilly, Jesus rox my world, left my heart in Paris, and muggleninja, thank you guys soooo much for reading the story, and I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far!**

**Whew! I think that's everybody guys, and you know the drill, if I missed you, I should feel awful, so yell at me :D**

**New chapter! Hope you like! :D Sorry for the short delay. That pesky writer's block hit me again. :/**

Three hours later, Tony and Ziva drove up to an out of the way mechanic's shop with missing siding and peeling blue paint around the front door frame; the twenty four hour sign was flickering, and both the 'M' and the 'E' in Mickey's had burnt out, so that it only read 'Icky's Mechanics.' The two of them shared a look before Tony swung the door open, holding it for her to step inside.

Stepping inside, she stopped, pausing in the middle of the room, her eyes sharp.

"What?" Tony asked, coming up behind her.

She just shook her head, "Nothing," before pulling out her badge, "NCIS!"

A burly looking man, obviously in his middle years, with thinning, tawny, blonde hair, and friendly, crinkling eyes. "You the Feds?" he asked, wiping his hands on a dirty rag.

"Yea. NCIS," Tony said, stepping forward, eyeing the rag curiously.

"Navy Cops?" the man, they assumed to be the Mickey of Mickey's Mechanics, asked, before explaining at Tony's look of surprise. "My dad was a Marine."

Tony nodded, before inquiring about their reason for driving an hour and forty minutes out of the city, "You said you picked up a dark 350Z awhile ago?"

"Yeah. 'Bout two hours ago. It's out in the garage," he said moving for the door opposite the one he had entered from.

Tony and Ziva followed his lead as they entered the garage smelling of gasoline and burnt metal, and he led them through a maze of cars, ending on the far side of the room.

Taking in the mud splattered across the entirety of the car, as well as the damage to the front bumper, Tony was sure they had the right car, but it was Ziva who spoke up, obviously having been thinking the same thing, "This is evidence in a federal investigation. We are going to have to take it back to NCIS for processing."

Mickey nodded. "Sure. I was wondering why someone would just leave it on the side of the road like that. In good condition too. Nothing wrong with it, aside from the dirt," he said, his eyes lingering on the car a few seconds more before he yelled across the room to one of his employees. "Hey Jackson! Get this thing hooked up for these Feds."

Despite the man's willingness to comply, Ziva had a bad feeling about him. He was almost too eager to help. "Thank for your help Mr…?"

"Mickey. You can just call me Mickey," he said extending his hand for her to take, only to retract it once more at seeing her face. He looked down at his grease-covered hands, and chuckled apologetically.

She nodded, "Yes well, Mickey. Do you mind if we look around."

"You got a warrant?" he asked, and her silence was the only answer he needed, "Not trying to be difficult ma'am. Just enforcing my fourth amendment rights."

Ziva smiled tightly, a disbelieving look in her eyes.

Mickey seemed unaffected by her attitude, clapping his hands together, a genuine smile on his face, "Well, that all you came for, or did you need something else?"

"No that's it. Thanks," Tony said, nodding in farewell, Ziva following after him after her eyes lingered on Mickey in scrutiny only a few moments more.

As they stepped outside, watching an NCIS Agent, Mickey and the man he had identified as Jackson, hooking the mud covered car to the NCIS truck they had called shortly after arriving, Ziva spoke suddenly, having been standing in silence until then, "I do not trust him."

Tony turned his head to look at her, question in his eyes, and she looked at him as if to say, 'you can see it too.' He turned away slowly, nodding only minutely, and they went back to watching the car being loaded, their eyes sharp.

The next day, Jenny woke, fluttering her eyes open. She took in the dim lighting, provided only by the scarce light in the hospital hallway, and the lights of the machines monitoring her. She cleared her throat, trying to remember how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was driving off into the lake.

She was surprised to see Gibbs at her side the instant she made any noise. She had not even noticed him. She had also not expected to see him, remembering their argument before anything had happened, and how she had been so cold towards him. She tried to sit up, gasping at the unexpected flash of pain that seared through her entire body.

"Hey Jen, relax. The doctor's didn't give you any morphine," Gibbs scolded softly.

"Why the hell not?" she demanded, her voice hoarse, unable to stave off the deep cough that tugged at her chest.

"The baby."

A look of sudden anxiety crossed her face, "Oh my God. Jethro. The baby! Is it okay?"

"Baby's fine Jen," he soothed her, running a hand over her hair.

"What about the twins? Angela?"

"They're fine too Jen. Everybody's fine."

She coughed again, her head falling back into the pillows, "Then why do I feel like crap?" she moaned as another cough wracked her body.

"The doctor can explain it better."

"What's wrong with me Jethro?" she demanded.

"Calm down Jen. You don't need to make yourself sicker."

"Jethro."

He was saved from answering, as the doctor entered the room, a smile on her face. "How are you feeling Ms. Shepard?" she asked, and Jenny glared at Gibbs' look of relief before replying.

"Fine," she replied, though the cough pulled from her throat completely contradicted her words.

The doctor nodded, a disbelieving smile on her face, "Fine huh? That cough tells me otherwise. I'm guessing you've probably got chills, aches, and I'm sure those injuries are bothering you too." Jenny stayed silent, and her doctor checked her stats, making notes, before speaking again. "Well, your stats look pretty much normal. You've still got a high fever though. We need to try to get that down, and get rid of that cough."

"Yeah," Jenny sighed, "What's causing all of this?"

"Well, you picked up something called Legionnaires Disease from that lake. Fortunately for you, you only contracted the milder form of it. The symptoms seem to have showed up a little sooner than they normally do, but hopefully that just means you'll get over it faster. The symptoms should subside in another two to five days for sure. But, until then, you're going to be experiencing feelings similar to that of what you get with the flu."

"What about my kids?" Jenny asked, her eyes starting to feel heavy once again.

"When they came in, they were cold, and hungry. We've got them on the NICU, monitoring them for pneumonia, or something more serious. If nothing comes up in a day or two, they should be released," she assured her with a smile, "Dr. Keller is the pediatric specialist handling their treatment. He can give you more detailed information. I'll see if I can't get him in here later today."

After she had left, Gibbs took the seat by Jenny's bed, taking her hand in his. She glanced down at their intertwined hands, and smiled softly. He had not mentioned the bracelet, and neither would she, not then anyway. "Jethro, how did I get out of that lake?" she whispered, the question having been grating away at her mind since she woke up.

"Ziva, and me, we were close enough to see the car go in. That was smart you know, taking your chip. We followed the reading, and it was close enough for us to hear the cars. We figured you must have dropped it, and were close. Good thing we were right."

"Yeah," she breathed, the two of them sitting in silence until she spoke up again, "Jethro, about before—"

He cut her off, "Later Jen. Get better first."

She smiled, nodding, "Have you been here the whole time?"

He shook his head in the negative, "Planned on it. Ducky told me he'd stay. Told me to go solve the case."

"Who's the guy?" she asked, wanting to know the name of the man who had put her, her children, and her best friend in danger. He stayed silent, casting his eyes to his lap. "Jethro?" she prodded, sensing something was wrong.

"We don't know. Can't trace him. DNA's not in the system. All we got is the brother. He's dead though," he said, eyeing her pointedly, a sense of pride in his gaze.

She cleared her throat, wanting to forget the whole incident, until the full weight of his words hit her. "Wait. You mean he's still out there?" she demanded, her BP and heart rate rising.

"Jen. We'll get 'im. Calm down," he tried, but she cut him off, panic in her voice.

"No! Jethro, my mom! My sister! You saw that picture. Jethro I want them out here under protective detail. My sister's husband and her kids too," she demanded, a renewed fire in her eyes, buried beneath the panic.

"Okay Jen. I'll take care of it. Just calm down."

Her breathing started to even out, and the relief was evident on his face as her previously increasing numbers started to decline back to normal. "Jethro, send an agent to bring them back here. Don't have them flying without a detail."

"Okay Jen. Don't worry about it."

"Jethro, I should call them really. I haven't talked to my mom in six years, and I haven't talked to Heather in at least three. I mean really Jethro, imagine their reaction at having some agent from NCIS showing up on their doorsteps telling them that I'm the Director, so they have a hit on their heads?"

"Jen, don't stress yourself out," he warned.

"I won't Jethro. Just, it'll be better from me okay? You can stay I don't care, but I need to call them."

He reluctantly took the phone from his pocket, handing it to her, and she thanked him silently. She took a deep breath, dreading the phone call she was about to make, and dialed the number she still knew by heart, despite the time gap. She waited in anticipation as the phone rang once, twice, three times and then four, before the voicemail picked up. "Voicemail," she muttered, disgruntled.

"Call later Jenny. I'll get Dinozzo out there. Send Ziva with him. I'm sure they'll call back beforethey get there. It'll be alright Jen. Get some sleep."

Two hours later, Jenny had finally fallen asleep, despite the pain, when Gibbs phone rang, stirring her from her sleep. He snatched the phone from his lap, already peeved with whoever the caller was, even without looking at the caller ID. "What?" he hissed, in answer to the caller.

"_Boss it's Abby," Tony's stricken voice drifted through the phone._

**A/N: Eek! What's wrong with Abby? And Jenny's family…wonder what tore them apart all those years ago, and why they still aren't talking…and that Mickey guy…what's up with him? So many questions! Don't worry they'll be answered in the next chapter, and Tony and Ziva finally have that much needed talk :) Plus some real McAbby makes its appearance. Needless to say, it'll be a packed chapter. :D**

**Okay guys so here's the thing. School just started, and with school, cheerleading in the winter, work, sports outside of school, school clubs, and training for track in the spring, my life is getting even crazier and it'll only get more wild from here out most likely. I'm taking all AP Classes, and I'm taking each one as fast as you can possibly take them, so I'm probably going to be studying like crazy half the time. -_- But anyway, if you still really want me to continue on with this story, tell me and I'll do my best to get updates up consistently like I always have, and I'll try for every day, but it may be more like every other day, maybe even three days between updates sometimes. But they're almost definitely going to be up later at night. I mean I can multi-task, but school does have to come first in the event that I can't.**

**Otherwiiiiise, I might just have to at least put this story on hiatus for a while until things chill out, but you know, I mean if you guys are still reading and enjoying it, I don't want to just drop the story. Hate when that happens. :P I'm just warning you, the updates may not always be as quick as they have been (definitely way faster than once a week though). Right, so sorry for rambling :D **

**Hope you guys liked it, and tell me what you thought! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**The anniversary of 9/11 is today. God bless all the people who gathered to help on that day, and all the people who lost their lives. And God bless their families and widows and their children, who go through things each year on this day, that some of us can only imagine. 9/11 hit America hard, but the families and friends of those people, they'll never forget like so many of us have. We're remembering after ten years, they've remembered ever single year since 2001. I wish them all the luck in the world, and admire them on the ten year anniversary of that tragic day.**

Gibbs stepped off the elevator, his concern evident in his stride. He had left the hospital, at Jenny's insistence, only moments after receiving the call from Tony. He stormed through the doors of autopsy, taking in the scene before him. Abby was sitting on the cold table farthest from the doors, Ducky stitching up a nasty looking gash on her neck. His team crowded around the two of them, identical expressions of concern on their faces.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded, his voice echoing through the confined space. All five heads snapped to him, shock in their eyes, obviously not having noticed his presence before then.

"Hey Gibbs," Abby greeted him, smiling weakly, wincing slightly as Ducky tugged the last stitch through, his expression that of both anger and concentration.

He crossed the room in long strides, making it to her in record time. He grabbed her head gently in his hand to get a better look at the wound. He knitted his eyebrow before releasing her, and repeating his earlier question, "What happened?"

The were all silent, sensing his mood, not wanting to be the one to deliver the news that blew the top. When, after several moments, he still had received no answer, he got instantly grew agitated, and hollered, "Somebody's gonna tell me what happened!"

Abby piped up immediately, jumping only slightly at the volume of his voice. "It's my fault Gibbs. I should've been more careful. I know better."

He eyed her expectantly, indicating for her to continue.

"I went to get some dinner 'cause you know, I haven't eaten all day, and that's really bad for you. You're not supposed to not eat all day. It slows down your metabolism. That's why people get so fat you know. They eat a whole lot. Then they go on a diet. And their body goes into starvation mode and-

"Abby!" Gibbs barked, cutting her off mid-rant.

"Yeah. Sorry," she apologized before continuing recounting her story, "I went to get dinner, but the line was really long. And then they didn't have what I wanted, so they had to go make it for me. And I was running late on the way back, so I took a shortcut to my car. My car was really far away, 'cause I couldn't find any parking spaces." She watched his eyes darken, and knew that he knew what was coming next, but decided to tell him anyway. "Some guy…he just came out of nowhere Gibbs," she stressed, her expression of disbelief, only pushing her point further, "He came up behind me, and grabbed me. But when I tried to get away, he pulled out a knife, and I got this," she said, pointing to the wound on her neck, "because it grazed the side of my neck. And I ran. He took my purse though. I guess that's all he wanted. But I got his DNA," she grinned, wiggling her fingers, "I scratched him." she pulled a face, her next comment obviously a displeasing thought, "I kinda freaked out when I called Tony though."

"You got the DNA from underneath your nails right?" he asked, and she looked at him in mock hurt.

"How could you ask me such a thing Gibbs?" she gasped.

"Abby."

She grinned. "Of course Gibbs."

He nodded curtly, "Good," before his eyes softened, "I'm glad you're okay Abbs," he said before turning to Ducky, "She's good right Duck?" Ducky nodded, and Gibbs directed his next statement at McGee. "McGee, take her home. Not to her apartment, yours. That dirt bag's got her license, which means he has her address. And stay with her. Where you go, she goes, and vice-versa. She doesn't leave your sight! You got that?"

McGee nodded, "Got it Boss. She doesn't leave my sight."

"Gibbs!" Abby protested, "I have to run those samples. I want my stuff back, and that guy cannot get away with this!"

"He won't. Tomorrow Abby. Tonight, you go home."

She huffed, before pursing her lips in acquiescence, "Fine," she sighed, turning to McGee, "Come on Timmy. Looks like you're my appointed babysitter," she said, glaring at Gibbs before turning to leave, McGee behind her.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. _She had been spending way too much time around Jenny and Ziva. "_Dinozzo, Ziva," with me, he ordered, already walking out of Autopsy.

They followed behind him, and Tony almost ran into his back as Gibbs stopped abruptly, just outside the doors of the ice box of a room. He spun to face them, and they stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak. "You two go home too. Pack a bag. You're going to L.A."

"Yes!" Tony cheered, though his volume remained low. He quickly straightened up at the glare he received from Gibbs, waiting for the other man to speak.

"This is not a vacation Dinozzo. You're going there on protection detail. You're going to fly in the Director's family, her mom, sister, and her sister's husband, and their kids." He tried to ignore the stunned looks on their faces at the mention of Jenny's family; especially Ziva, who, he could have sworn, had a look of betrayal in her eyes buried beneath the shock. "Think you can handle that?"

They both stood in shocked silence, though only momentarily before Tony spoke again. "Jenny's got a sister, and a mom, and nieces or nephews, whatever?"

Gibbs tried to ignore Tony's slip at using Jenny's given name so freely. He had noticed the two of them had gotten closer. He had been meaning to ask her about it, but with all that happened, there had not been time. "That's what I said Dinozzo. Can you two handle it, or do I need to get someone else?"

"No," Ziva said, "We will do it."

Gibbs took Tony's nod as agreement, and, satisfied that everyone was on the same page, said, "Good. You leave tomorrow. 0530," before turning on his heel, intent on returning to the hospital.

McGee pulled up to his apartment, and Abby stepped out of the car, hugging Burt. They had not stopped by her apartment, not wanting to risk her attacker waiting there, only have him follow them to McGee's house. The farting hippo was the only mode of comfort she had. She followed him to the elevator, keeping silent as he pushed the button for the sixth floor.

He turned to look at her as the elevator began its ascent. He knitted his brows, her uncharacteristic silence unnerving. "You okay Abby?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.

"Yea. I'm okay Tim."

He knew the exact opposite was true, but he had learned long ago not to push Abby. That she would talk, eventually, when she felt like it. The elevator doors open with a soft ding, and the two of them stepped out, heading down the hallway to his apartment. He slid the key into the lock, and pushed the door open so that she could step inside. He followed behind her, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it. "Well, make yourself at home Abby. Kitchen's through there," he said pointing in the direction of the kitchen. Alcohol is in the top cabinet. Above the sink."

She laughed. "Thanks Tim. But I think I'm just gonna go to bed," she said, the exhaustion evident in her voice.

"Um…yea sure. Okay. I'll get you something to sleep in. Just give me a second to do that, and then I'll change the sheets."

"It's a big bed McGee. There's room for both of us," she teased, the first hint of her personality breaking through for the first time since they had left NCIS.

He smiled. "It's still time to change the sheets anyway. But, let me get you something to wear really fast. Do you want to take a shower or…?"

"Um…yeah. That'd be nice."

He nodded, and headed into the bedroom, expecting her to follow. "Shower's there," he said, pointing to the bathroom, "There's soap, and shampoo, and things like that. There should be clean towels and washcloths in there too. If there's not, I'll get you something."

"Thanks Tim," she said, smiling softly.

"No problem Abbs. I'll leave the shirt on the bed okay?" he said, rummaging through his drawers.

"Yeah. Thanks again," she said, heading into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

He heard the hiss of the shower, as he pulled out an NCIS t-shirt, and set it on top of the dresser before heading out into the hallway. He grabbed bed covers from the closet and returned to the room, stripping the bed of its old covers, and replaced them with the new ones.

He was sitting at his desk in the living room, typing up the draft for the latest chapter of his book when the door to his room opened. He looked up to see Abby walking out, dressed in his t-shirt, which was at least two sizes too big on her, her face void of all make up, and her hair tied into two low ponytails.

She came up behind him, and looked over his shoulder. "Hey. Writing the new chapter?"

He looked over his shoulder for a quick second before turning back to his writing, not wanting to lose his train of thought, and answered her somewhat distractedly, "Hey. Yeah. Give me just a second. I don't want to lose this." He finished typing and turned to her once more, giving her his undivided attention.

"Just wanted to say goodnight," she said, smiling.

"G'night Abbs," he said, returning the smile, "I'll be out here if you need me."

"You're not sleeping out here right?" she demanded.

"Well. I mean I'd planned on it."

"Tim, stop trying to be all chivalrous. It's no biggie. We can share."

He looked at her before closing his typewriter, and stood to join her in the bedroom. She smiled triumphantly, turning on her heel, and headed into the room, McGee on her heels. She crawled into bed, and McGee shut the door behind him before joining her, the bed dipping slightly under his weight.

Abby rolled over, snuggling into his side, and he hesitated only slightly before slinging an arm around her waist.

"We're gonna get him. Right Tim?" she asked, looking up at him.

He looked down and nodded, caressing her arm, "Yeah Abby. We'll get him. Don't worry. We'll get him."

She nodded, and bit her lip, still not completely convinced. "Thanks Timmy."

"Don't mention it Abbs."

The next morning, at 0330, Ziva rolled out of bed, heading into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, stripping of her night clothes and stepped into the hot water.

Twenty minutes later, she opened the bathroom door, wrapped in a green towel, sending steam rushing into the room. She looked over to the bed, and shook her head at seeing Tony still passed out. He was sprawled across the bed, his hair sticking up in odd places. "Tony," she called. When he showed no signs of life she drew closer, and called his name louder than before, "Tony! You need to wake up."

He just groaned, and rolled over, tugging her pillow to him. She rolled her eyes, and crawled onto the bed. "Tony," she called in a sing song voice, her voice low and seductive, "Wake up." She received no response aside from a half hearted groan, so she tried again. She placed a languid kiss to his lips, amused when he laughed in satisfaction, though his eyes stayed closed. She moved down his neck, grazing her teeth along his jugular. She kissed down his chest, and laughed when he pulled her back up, pressing his lips to hers.

She pulled back, grinning at him. "You need to get up Tony."

"I am up," he growled, pulling her back to him, causing her towel to fall around her hips, and tangled his hands in her damp hair.

"Tony," she protested, her argument weak through her fit of giggles, "We really need to get ready," she said, then corrected herself, "Well, you need to get ready. I have already showered." she said, re- tying her towel.

"What time is it?" he asked, resting his hands on her rear,

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, answering. "0355. You really should get up," she advised, moving slide off of him, only to have him hold her down. "Tony," she warned eyeing him pointedly.

"We've got time. The airport is only ten minutes away. Or flight doesn't leave until 0530."

"Yes, but there is still security and baggage check to go through Tony."

"You know we never did have that talk," he said, changing the subject, his voice dropping an octave in compliance with the current topic of discussion.

She rolled her lips together, and bit her lip, her eyes softening. "There just wasn't time Tony."

"Well we have time. Let's have it now."

"Tony we will miss our flight," she protested softly.

"Ziva, there's not that much to talk about. It won't take us that long. I think we can make some time for us." She relaxed in her position, straddling him, and just stared at him. He took that as acquiescence and continued, "Why don't you want a baby anymore Ziva? You said you were ready to give up Mossad and leave that life behind. What changed?"

She sighed, resting her hands on his chest. "Tony. It was a stronger feeling for me then. I was already pregnant. Tony I am not sure that I am completely ready to give that up. It is what I have known my entire life. Maybe if I were put in that situation again, maybe. But Tony a baby… It's a big responsibility. Even if I were to get out of Mossad, there is no guarantee that I will get U.S. Citizenship, or that I will be instated as an NCIS agent. Then where would I be? Shipped back to Israel without a job, without family, never to see my child again."

"If that happened then we'd just have to get married," he said as if it were the most plausible thing in the world.

She made a sound between a scoff and a laugh, looking at him disbelievingly. "Tony it is not that simple."

"Why not?"

"First of all, I would not want to start a marriage that way. Second, if we were found out, you would go to jail Tony! Lose your job! And I would be deported anyway. It would cause more trouble than good."

"We wouldn't be found out Ziva. You love me right?"

She huffed in exasperation, "Of course I do Tony, but-"

He cut her off indignantly, "And I love you, so it wouldn't be fake. There'd be nothing to find out."

"Tony. No. That is not even an option. If we were to get married. It would be because we wanted to, not because we were forced to so that I could stay in the country."

"So you don't want a baby?"

"I did not say that Tony! I said we are not ready. **Right Now**."

"So when will we be?"

"I don't know Tony," she sighed, the conversation starting to irritate her. There was a reason she had not tried harder to broach the subject. She had know it would cause a rift, and they had only just gotten back on good terms.

"Zi, you always talk about how terrible your father was. And how he never saw you as a daughter. Why wouldn't you want to get away from that?"

"Because!" she started, but then realized she had no reason why, and ended only with a soft, "It's all I've ever known Tony."

"Now you know something else."

She stayed silent, and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.

He took her silence as refusal, and spoke his thoughts, "But you still don't want to try for a baby."

"No," she said, shaking her head, smiling as he nodded resignedly, and moved to slide her off him, so that he could get up. But she pushed him back gently by his chest. "But that does not mean that we have to **not** try for a baby either."

He smiled, pulling her to him in a passionate kiss. Pulling back, she smiled, "We will deal with my father when the time comes," she said, and patted his chest, sliding off of him so that he could get up. "You need to get up though. It is already 0410. Shower quickly so that we do not miss our flight."

**A/N: Well it seems like people are still liking the story, so I decided to keep going, and eleven reviews last chapter so shout outs!**

**pirate-princess1, Fiva4Tiva, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, Aunt Jo, JET1967, Nicky Reid, TIVAaddict23, Herky Illiniwek, Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape****, and ladybugsmomma, thanks for the reviews, and I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you all keep on liking the story! :)**

**Thanks for understanding about school and things guys :) I hope you liked the new chapter!**

**So finally some McAbby for you McAbby lovers :) And Tiva of course. So I know I said we'd find out who Mickey was, and what the big deal was with Jenny's family, but it just didn't fit. Sooo, it'll have to be in the next chappie, but since I said it would be I this one, next chapter will be up tomorrow. Promise! :D Review please!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: So here's the newest chapter guys! Hope you like :)**

Gibbs sat in the chair next to Jenny's bed, watching her. He had been watching her since he had arrived the previous night, after ensuring that Abby was alright. She had been jittery since then, even in her sleep. She had been jumpy when he walked in, demanding to know first, if Abby was okay, and second, if her mother had called. When he had told her that her mother had not called, she had only grown more anxious. She had tossed and turned in her sleep all night, and had been on edge all morning. She jumped very time the phone rang, and eventually, he had just set to vibrate.

She sat in bed, fiddling her fingers, gnawing at her bottom lip. "Jen," he called, and she snapped her eyes to him abruptly, as if she had for gotten he was there.

"What?"

"Relax."

"What are you talking about? I am relaxed."

"Jen."

She sighed, "I'm fine Jethro. I just…What if something happened to them? It'll be my fault."

"Nothing'll happen to them Jen. They'll be fine," he tried to reassure her, before muttering, "And it wouldn't be your fault. It'd be mine."

"What?" she asked again, her attention having faltered.

"It'd be my fault Jen. This guy is after you because **I **killed his father."

She scoffed, "Well I'm sure my killing his brother, and my friend killing his sister, didn't do much to improve matters."

He laughed, glad to see her personality shining through in her witty comeback. "No. I guess it didn't," he said, but soon, his expression grew grave, "Still. You wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me."

Ziva stepped out into the airport, Tony at her side, both of them dragging their suitcases behind them. "You have the addresses right?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

He nodded. "Yep," he replied, before a though occurred to him, "Gibbs tell you why we're getting them?"

She faltered slightly in her steps, as the though flashed through her mind. "No, he didn't. I didn't even know Jenny had a sister, or that her mother was alive. Maybe she wants to see them."

"Or maybe that guy is after them. Gibbs did say we were on protection detail."

She tilted her head to the side in thought, considering that option.

McGee, and Abby had been running the DNA since they walked in that morning, Gibbs checking in on them every so often. They had run it against just about every known database in the system, and had come up with nothing. There had been no matches in the system against the skin particles, and they were starting to become too degraded to get DNA; Abby was getting nervous. Then, she had a thought.

She turned to McGee, her eyes squinted in thought, "McGee. You don't think…" she trailed off, blasting around her lab in a mad dash for papers.

"What?" he screamed over the music blaring in the lab. He received no answer, and he repeated himself, "Abby what?" Again he received no reply, and simply huffed in aggravation before dropping back into his chair.

An hour after Tony and Ziva had landed in L.A., they had made it through baggage claim, the rental car station, and the other hassles of a big city airport.

Climbing into the passenger's side of their Pontiac, Ziva looked to Tony indignantly, continuing the petty argument they had been having since receiving their car keys, "Give me one good reason I can't drive."

"I've given you five," he said, starting the car, turning to look at her.

"Give me another one."

"I don't think we should scare the children, Zee-vah."

She crossed her arms, sitting back into the seat in acquiescence, despite her fuming, "Fine."

He smiled, shaking his head, and drove off, down the ramp of the driveway.

An hour later, they pulled up to an attractive, homey looking, cottage style house with sandalwood siding, and stone accents. They walked up the winding stone path, and Ziva pushed the doorbell, sending a tinkling chime throughout the house that could be heard faintly from outside. It was only moments before a smiling red head opened the door, and Ziva had to bite back a gasp. The woman had nearly flawless ivory skin, aside from a dusting freckles across her nose, and a few faint crows feet and laugh lines. She had flaming red hair pulled back into a bun, a few tendrils having escaped, falling around her face in curls; and she had a brilliant smile that seemed to stretch all the way across her face. She was Jenny, aged twenty years or so, despite the fact that she looked much younger, more like ten years Jenny's senior, rather than twenty; except for the eyes. She had striking sea green eyes, with starbursts of blue surrounding the pupils. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice a soft soprano.

Both agents tried to regain their composure, Ziva achieving her goal first. "NCIS," she said holding up her badge.

Julie nodded, knowing exactly who they were, having spent over twenty years married to a Marine. "What can I do for you?"

Ziva hesitated slightly before continuing, "It's about your daughter…Jennifer Shepard."

Julie's smile faltered slightly, and she eyed them with the sharp gaze they knew so well, "What about her?" When she received only silence, she grew increasingly anxious, and demanded more forcefully, "Is something the matter with her?"

Tony spoke up, sensing Ziva's hesitation to reveal too much, as they hadn't really received specifics on how much to reveal, "Mrs. Shepard, we really need you to come with us. We can explain in the car."

Julie stayed rooted to the spot, "I'd rather you tell me now."

Tony sighed, "Do you mind if we com in?"

Julie lingered in the door way a few moments before stepping aside to let them pass. She shut the door behind them, turning to face the two, her arms crossed tightly over one another. She raised an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for them to continue; the similarities between her mannerisms, and her daughter's was unnerving.

Ziva spoke, seeming to have recovered her voice, "Mrs. Shepard, your daughter is the Director of NCIS."

Julie's eyes widened in shock. _Director? She hadn't realized how far apart she had grown with her eldest daughter. It had been six years since their last conversation, and that one had been full of sharp words. But surely she would have heard about this._"Did you just say **Director **of NCIS?"

"Yes," Ziva said, nodding, before continuing, "Mrs. Shepard, you have to listen to me. You're in danger. Your daughter sent us here to retrieve both you, your other daughter, and her family. We are to fly with you back to D.C. where you will be placed under protective detail."

Julie shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. "Protective-pro-What kind of danger are we in? Why do I need protection?" she demanded.

"There is a definite possibility that a hit has been issued on your head."

"Why didn't Jenny come herself?" Julie demanded, wondering if her daughter loathed her so much that she would entrust her safety to agents, rather than come herself, and without even a call of warning. She soon sensed there was another reason, when both Agents fell silent, casting their eyes downward. "What?" she demanded, "What is it?"

Ziva looked up, hating for the woman to have to receive the news in such a way, "Director Shepard, is in the hospital."

Julie's heart started to hammer in her chest in consideration of all the possibilities. "The hospital?" she breathed, "What's wrong with her? Why is she in the hospital?"

"The man we believe is after you, put her there," Ziva stressed, hoping to get it across to the older woman, just how much danger she was in, "Mrs. Shepard, we really do need to go. We still need to get your other daughter."

Julie ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head, trying to wrap her mind around the information she had just received, "Yes. Yes, fine. Let me just grab my things. Do I have time to pack anything?"

"If you grab the first things you see," Tony said, and she nodded, heading up the stairs.

Abby paced the floor of her lab, anxiously awaiting the results of the last test. She had used all the DNA thy had, and if her theory was wrong, the guy would get away with it.

Her head shot up at the beep of her computer, and her eyes widened in shock at the words on the screen. She had been right. The man who had been driving the car that Jenny had been kidnapped in, was the same man who had attacked her the previous night.

McGee had since come up beside her, and she turned to him, her eyes still wide. "This… is **not** good Tim.

Gibbs walked back into Jenny's room, having gone to get a cup of coffee. Being so anxious had finally started to wear her out, and she sat up in bed, her head in the pillows, eyes closed. Hearing him walk in, she opened her eyes lazily, with a, "Hey," in greeting.

"Hey. You tired?"

"A little."

"Want me to hit the lights for you?"

"Yea," she said, her voice smaller than usual in her sleepy state.

Ten minutes later, the room was so silent you could hear a pen drop, and Jenny had finally started to nod off. His phone vibrated, and he hoped she had not hard it. Taking in her still relaxed position, he assumed she had not, until she spoke, her voice soft. "Who is it Jethro?" she asked, curious about his reluctance to answer the phone. When she received no answer, other than the continuous buzzing of his phone, she grew suspicious. "Jethro?"

"It's the number you called last time Jen," he answered, knowing she would make the connection.

"What?"

"It's your mom."

"What? Give it to me!" she demanded, sitting up in bed, wincing at the sudden movement.

He hesitated only slightly before handing her the phone, and sitting back in his chair, watching her closely as she answered the it.

She took a deep breath before holding the phone to he ear, "Hello?"

"_Jenny?"_

Jenny had to bite back a gasp. She had neither heard her mother's voice in six years, nor seen her face in nearly twenty. "Mom."

"_Jennifer. What is going on? Two NCIS agent showed up on my doorstep this morning telling me that I was being flown to D.C. because you're the Director of their agency, and that someone is trying to kill me! And now I hear that you're in the hospital!"_

"Mom. Look, mom it's just complicated okay. There's a lot of things going on right now. But I need to know that you, and Heather, and Eric, and the kids are safe."

"_Jenny you're the __**Director of NCIS?**__!"_

"Yes mom. For about a year and a half."

"_And you didn't think that was something your family should know about?"_

"Really mom? You're pulling that with me now? Mom we haven't spoken in **six** years, and I haven't seen you since you left, eighteen years ago! And now you want to pull the family thing?" Jenny scoffed disbelievingly, her voice having been rising for the past two minutes.

"_I always knew you blamed me for that. You said you didn't, but how could you not?"_

"Mom I never blamed you for leaving, or for dad! We haven't talked to each other because you **insist** that I do, and you always manage to start something over that. All because I was old enough to choose, and chose to stay when you left. Just because I didn't want to pack up and leave my life, my dying father. But he was not exactly easy to live with by then, and you'd been having problems for years. I never blamed you mom! **You** blamed you. Not me, not Heather, not dad. You."

"_I can't stay in that house Jennifer. I won't."_

"Jesus mom! You don't have to stay in the house!" Jenny, ground out, her voice strained as she tried to keep her volume down.

"Jen," Gibbs warned from his chair, his eyes flitting to her heart monitor, which was reaching dangerous heights and she nodded silently.

"_Jenny why are you in the hospital? Your agents, they said this man put you there. What does that mean?" she demanded, not wanting anymore surprises._

"I'm just a little sick mom," Jenny sighed, cursing the rattling cough that stemmed from her chest.

"_Jenny that does not sound a little sick. Don't lie to me."_

"Mom," Jenny tried again, a coughing fit cutting off her words. She felt the bile rising in her throat, and managed only, a strained, "I'll call you back mom," before she leapt out of the bed, the IV ripped from her arm as she ran to the bathroom.

"_Jenny? Jenny?"_

Gibbs was behind her as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet, in a series of retches and gasps. He murmured soothing words to her, rubbing her back while he held her hair back.

She finished, falling back against him, her breathing labored. She groaned. "Jethro."

"I tried to tell you not to overstress yourself Jen," he murmured into her ear, placing a kiss to her temple.

"I know Jethro."

"How are you gonna tell her?" he asked, referring to the twins and the new baby, as well as their relationship. He knew she had probably not planned to tell her mother about any of it, but it was inevitable now that she would b in D.C.

"I don't know Jethro," she whispered, knowing precisely what he was referring to, "but I don't care if they never speak to me again, as long as they're safe."

_Unknown to either of them, Jenny had failed to end the call, and her mother had heard the entire conversation. She hung up slowly, wondering what could possibly be left to tell her. Was she married? That had been a man's voice with her._

Later that night, Jenny's doctor, as well as the twins' doctor entered the room. It had been two days. The next day would be three. Jenny always had hated hospitals. She wanted to go home.

Jenny's doctor spoke first, "Well, your fever is down, and your other injuries are healing nicely. That cough is my only concern. I had a feeling it would linger though. So I think, you can go home tomorrow. Obviously, you should still stay on bed rest for a few more days. And I'd recommend staying out of work for the next week."

"Is any of that absolutely mandatory?" she asked, ignoring Gibbs' scoff, and eye roll beside her.

He doctor pulled a face before speaking, "The bed rest, yes, because you're pregnant. But after three days or so, you **can **go back to work, but I really do strongly recommend that you stay home for another week."

"Right," Jenny said, nodding in understanding, though she had no intentions of following the doctor's orders past the two days of bed rest. She then turned to the pediatrician in the room, and asked, "The twins can go home too. Right?"

The doctor hesitated slightly before answering. "Well…Jacob, your son. He can. He seems fine."

Gibbs moved closer to Jenny, if that were at all possible, as fear creeped into her eyes at the doctor's statement. "Why can't Leilah?" she demanded, "What's wrong with her?"

"Leilah ended up picking up the pneumonia. It really does appear suddenly in babies. It's good we were monitoring her. We caught it early. Administered the antibiotics. She should be doing much better by the end of the week."

"Should be?" Jenny shrieked, "I don't want to hear should be. You caught it early. Why should there be any chance that she won't be okay? I thought this is why you were monitoring them."

The doctor sighed, "Like I said Ms. Shepard, it usually appears very suddenly, and sometimes unexpectedly in babies. We can never guarantee lack of complications. There is always a chance. What I'm telling you is that there's a good chance there won't be. I'm sorry."

Tony walked into NCIS, surpised to seee Abby waiting in the bullpen. She had sent him a 911, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, Abby looked grave. He had left Jenny's family in the capable hands of Ziva for the time being, promising to return soon. "What's so important Abby?" he asked, wondering what could be wrong.

She handed him the papers in her hand without a word, and his eyes flitted over them, before looking back to her in confusion. "What's this?"

"DNA Results."

His face took on an expression of shock, "You got the guy? Who is it?"

"The same guy who got Jenny."

Confusion crossed his face once more befor he asked his next question, "I thought you couldn't get a match."

"I didn't. But I ran it against previously tested samples, and there it was."

"So we still don't know who this guy is?"

"Now we do," she said, handing him another sheet of paper, "There was a call. Someone said they found their boss, and their co worker dead. The guy who called, he'd been played hooky the other day, and had the daybefore off. Cassidy's team followed it to a place called Mickey's Mechanics." His head shot up at that, and she nodded before continuing. "They found the bodies of Mickey Valastro, and Jackson Hebert. They canvased the area, and we got a hair that didn't match either of the victims. I ran it, and it came up against my results from today. Tony the guy you met, wasn't Mickey, it was Jorge Rodriguez. The other kidnapper."

**A/n: Ooh! See it's like ladybugsmomma said, something hinky about Mickey. And some major family drama with Jenny. Wonder how they'll react to the whole, 'I'm pregnant and I've got twins' bit. :) Hope you liked it guys! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Lovely people of fan fiction…Hi! :)**

**Kay so here's the new chapter. I hope you like it peoples.**

**Oh but first. Shout outs!**

**Lavender Angel-96, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, NCIS87, ladybugsmomma, DreamerChild88, pirate-princess1, Tempe4Booth, Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape, Paris-eternellement, and Prettycrazy, thank you for making pepping me up and making me smile with your reviews after quite a lengthy day at school. :D**

Jenny had been released from the hospital, along with Jacob. She had laid down to take a nap while Gibbs went out to get food. He was staying there with her, to take care of Jacob, until Noemi returned the next day. She hoped the young woman was well rested, because she would have plenty of surprises when she returned.

Jenny woke, several hours later with a moan. She knitted her eyebrows in confusion, once the fog of sleep had cleared from her eyes, and she realized it was dark outside. She rolled over to look at the clock, 1800 hours. She shot out of bed, instantly regretting it as her muscles and bones protested. She had slept for six hours! She picked up on the sound of metal clattering in her kitchen, and descended the stairs, walking into the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, smiling softly at Gibbs back, as he moved around the kitchen, making what smelled like spaghetti. She was about to speak; sure he had not noticed her yet, when he cut her off. "What are you doing out of bed?" he asked scolding, despite the hint of amusement in his voice, and she clamped her mouth shut, biting her lip to hide a smile.

She crossed the room, arms crossed over her chest, and peered into the pot before turning to look up at him. Without her heels, there was a considerable height distance between the two. "You were supposed to wake me up when you got back," she reminded him.

"And how, do you know that I didn't just get back," he challenged, turning the stove off. She eyed him pointedly, and he grinned before saying, "You needed the sleep."

"You still should have woken me up," she said, stretching to kiss him. "It smells good in here."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah."

After they had eaten, Gibbs cleaned up while Jenny went upstairs to take a bath. Ten minutes later, he climbed the stairs; hearing no water running, he assumed she was already in the tub, and knocked on the bathroom door, calling her name, "Jen?"

He entered at her soft, "Come in," and smiled, seeing her finally relaxing. It smelled of vanilla and lavender, and he assumed she had used bath oils. She was sitting back against the back of the tub, head leaned back, eyes closed. "You need anything?" he asked, and nodded at her shake of the head.

"You want to get in?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

Of course he wanted to, but he didn't want to mess with her time to herself, and said instead, "Nah, it's okay Jen. Enjoy your bath."

He watched the corners of her mouth twitch, before she spoke again, the amusement evident in her voice, "Get in Jethro."

He stripped down, sliding in behind her, resting his hands on the gentle curve of her stomach. She smiled, resting her hand over his, interlocking their fingers. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she spoke again, "I guess you want to know about my family."

She took his silence as a yes, and continued. If he had not wanted to know, he would have said so. "My dad, he was a Colonel in the Marines. He was kind of like you. You would've gotten along well," she said, smiling softly at her memories. "He and my mother were married thirteen years before his disease started to cripple him. Like I said, he was like you. He hated it. He started to get irritable, even with me. My mother tried hard. I know she did. She tried for another five years, but by then, he was dying, and was almost impossible to live with. She couldn't take it anymore, so she left. My younger sister, Heather, was sixteen, so my mother took her with her to California. I was eighteen; I could make my own choices. I decided to stay with my father. I always was a bit of a daddy's girl. I was already enrolled at Georgetown, and making A's in all my classes. I had Angela, and my boyfriend at the time."

She grinned as he tightened his grip on her at the word boyfriend, and continued, "I loved all of my classes. I had a part time job. I was happy here in Washington, aside from my home life of course." She stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing; "I came home to my father a week later. I went home every weekend to see him. I called out to him, and he didn't answer. It wasn't all that unusual. His hearing never was very good. I used to tease him it was because of all the screaming at work," she said chuckling wryly, "So I climbed the stairs to his study; that's where he usually was." She swallowed thickly, clearing her throat, in an attempt to keep tears at bay. "I found him there, a bullet in his head. They ruled it a suicide. My mother never forgave herself for that. She's always blamed herself, but she decided to tell me that I blamed her for it; that her leaving lead to it. I never blamed my mother for anything, but she's always been a, spitfire of a woman, as my grandmother would have said, all 5'4" of her. Once she's convinced herself of something, no one can tell her otherwise."

She closed her eyes as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin between her neck and shoulder. Her thoughts started to go fuzzy as he continued his ministrations, moving languidly across her shoulders. When she spoke again, her voice came out huskier than intended. She cleared her throat, in an attempt to finish her explanation without being side tracked. If it were not said then, she would never get it out. "I didn't talk to either of them until nine years later. I was twenty-seven, and I'd just started at NCIS. Heather called to tell me she was getting married. She wanted me to be her maid of honor. I went. I love my sister. We probably would have been closer had she been a few years older when my mother decided to leave. I wanted her to remember her wedding as happy though. I made my own vow to myself that I would be civilized and cordial with my mother, and make things as comfortable as it could be for all of us. My mother obviously had other plans. She avoided me like the plague the entire time. I left as soon as the wedding was over."

Gibbs stayed silent, to let her get everything out first.

"I stayed in contact with my sister, but avoided my mother, until we went back to Paris undercover. Remember the time I thought I was pregnant?"

She felt him tense up behind her, and smiled, remembering how she had cried in the bathroom the entire day. How they had been so relieved when Ducky determined it a false positive.

"I called her then. She was furious at me for not telling her I was seeing someone. She told me that a child was a blessing. How could I not want it? Not to **blame it **for something that it couldn't control. We said things Jethro; I said things, awful things. Needless to say, that was the last time we spoke. And Heather, she'd finally turned her back on me after three years. She thought I blamed our mother for our father's death as well. But I had to understand. I barely ever saw her. She spent all her time around our mom. The last time I'd seen her kids was a year previously. I haven't spoken to either one of them in years, and now I have to explain that, 'Oh that guy who I thought knocked me up six years ago, well he actually did it this time. With twins. But he didn't know, 'cause I didn't tell him. So that's why he isn't in pictures. And guess what, I'm his boss now. Director of a Federal Agency. That's why you're dragged here. But I decided to jump into bed with him the first time I saw him in six years, and that's how those kids got here. Oh yeah! I'm pregnant again. And don't forget, I almost died, and my daughter is still in the hospital with pneumonia!'"

Even through her rant, he had stayed calm, and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. "We'll figure it out Jen."

She looked down to the bracelet on her right wrist, and felt the need to say something. "You put your bracelet on me in the hospital," she said softly.

His only response was a short, "Yep."

"Thought you said you never took it off."

"Didn't." She looked up at him skeptically, and he continued, "You're my other half. One and the same, so technically, I never took it off."

She turned in the water, so that she was straddling him. She had no idea how he had managed to say something like that in a way that was so undeniably, him. She leaned down, pressing her lips to his. He responded readily, and the kisses soon grew heated. He twisted her hands in her hair, and she pulled back slightly, their noses still touching. "I love you," she murmured against his lips.

The response she got was not the one she had been expecting, or wanting. "That'll be the day."

She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against his, a soft, but sad smile on her lips. She moved so that she was sitting between his legs again, and grabbed the loofah by her feet, handing it to him, "Wash my back?"

He took the spongy thing from her hands, his eyebrows knitted slightly in confusion. That was not where he had been expecting things to go. "You alright?" he asked, somewhat concerned her sudden change in behavior.

She nodded. "Yeah."

He nodded reluctantly, and looked at the object in his hand. "What is this thing anyway?" he asked and she laughed.

"It's a loofah Jethro."

"What the hell's a loofah?"

"It's a bath sponge. It works like a wash cloth."

"Well then why don't you use a washcloth?"

She rolled her eyes, and grinned. "I do, in the shower. Now will you wash my back please?"

Ziva strode into the bullpen, accompanied by the 'Shepard Clan.' She wondered what had been wrong. Tony had just called her, and screamed for her to get to NCIS. He was trying to be Gibbs again. She was going to kill him. He knew better than to try that with her.

"Just what is so important that I had to—" she stopped at seeing his face. "What is it?" She looked around the bullpen, seeing McGee typing furiously at his computer while Abby stood in the corner behind him, her face grave. She turned back to Tony expectantly, waiting for him to say something when Abby stepped forward, speaking to the Shepards. She offered to take them to her lab for the time being, and both Tony and Ziva watched them go.

Just as the elevator door closed, Tony grabbed the remote from his desk, pointing it at the big screen in their cubicle. Jorge's face appeared on the screen, and she looked at him in confusion, still thinking that the man was Mickey.

"Jorge Rodriguez," he spat, "Jesus' brother. The other kidnapper."

Realization dawned on her face, and he kicked his desk, sending stray papers flying to the ground. "We had him. He was right in front of us, and we didn't get him."

"What's that?" the youngest girl in the room, Isabella, asked pointing to one of Abby's machines.

"That, is my mass spectrometer," Abby said, grinning proudly.

"What's it do?"

"Well, it basically analyzes lots of different stuff."

"Why?"

"It's just what it does."

"Why?"

"So I can help catch bad guys."

"Why?"

"So they don't hurt anybody."

"Why?"

"It's not good to hurt people."

"Why?"

"It's not nice."

"Wh-" Isabella started to ask again, before her mother cut her off.

"Okay Iz, I think that's enough questions," she said, eyeing the young girl pointedly.

"I just wanted to know why mommy," she explained, wondering why her mother was scolding her.

"I know honey, but you're just asking too many questions."

"I didn't know mommy."

"I know honey."

Abby smiled, remembering her mother's stories of presenting the same behavior herself. Growing up to be a scientist fit her well. She could ask all the questions she wanted. Maybe she had a little recruit on her hands in Isabella Scott.

Jenny and Gibbs collapsed onto the bed, hot, and sweaty from hours of lovemaking. She rolled over so that she was cocooned in his side. She rested her hand on his chest, playing with the hairs she found there. They sat in a comfortable post coital silence, and they were both nodding off when Jenny spoke, so soft it could easily have been unheard. "Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking."

"Sounds dangerous," he teased, and she swatted him in the chest playfully.

"I'm serious Jethro."

"Okay. Shoot."

"I was thinking you could maybe move in. you're here all the time anyway. You've got some of your things here already. I mean you spend the night more often than not. I'm sure the twins would love to see you every morning and night. You can always go back to your boat whenever you feel like it. Just, sleep here."

"Really?"

"Yes Jethro. That's why I said it."

He laughed before speaking, "Yeah."

She smiled, snuggling deeper into his side, and soon they were both asleep.

**~ Two Days Later ~**

Noemi had returned the previous day, and Gibbs had already left for work. Jenny planned to do so as well, much to Gibbs' disdain, though not until noon. She had not seen her mother or her sister since they had landed, nor did she plan to. Of course she wanted to see her nieces and nephews; the youngest she had never even met or seen. That was not a possibility though. Her family was in Washington for their safety, not so they could repair broken relationships.

The two days of bed rest had her itching to get out, but she also knew that it was not smart to jump straight into it. Time, to her, was an extra six hours. She had been walking around the house all day, getting used to being out of the bed again.

She was in her bedroom getting ready when there was a knock at her door. She assumed it was Noemi, and called for her to come in. She was buttoning up the last button on her green Oxford, frustrated at the fact that one of the buttons would not close over her chest, when the younger woman entered the room.

"You look very nice Senora," she complimented the red head in the middle of the floor.

"Thank you Noemi," she thanked the younger woman, smiling at her. Her breasts were already swollen to a D from nursing, rather than her usual C, but she was sure they had gotten larger, and she did not even want to think about shopping then.

She grabbed the black blazer from her bed, sliding it over her arms. It was a little snug, and she knew she would have to start wearing looser clothing if she planned to hide the pregnancy from the majority of NCIS until absolutely necessary.

"I am going to the store Senora. I will take Jacob with me."

"Don't worry about it Noemi. Trust me you won't get any shopping done with him in the cart. Leave him here. Technically I don't have to be in today, so they'll live if I'm a little late," Jenny said smiling.

"Are you sure Senora? It is not a problem."

"No. It's fine. As long as I'm here, I may as well be helpful."

"Okay Senora. I will not be long."

Jenny nodded, "Take your time."

Noemi closed the door behind her, and Jenny slid out of the blazer and Oxford shirt, leaving her only in a black undershirt that hugged her growing stomach, her black pencil skirt, and the matching pumps.

Noemi had been gone not ten minutes when the doorbell rang and Jenny descended the stairs. She stopped in the living room, lifting her son from his play yard, eliciting a squeal of joy from him. She laughed, and positioned him on her hip before heading for the door. She swung the door open, smiling brightly at the mystery visitor, until the door opened all the way, and her smile instantly slid from her face. An expression of shock and anxiety took its place once she saw who her visitor was.

"Heather," she breathed.

**A/N: Oh snap! Looks like it's time for show and tell…But aww! He's moving in yay! So there's a little more of an in depth look into Jenny's family history. And Gibbs…big mistake man. Definitely said the wrong thing. Come on say it with me, "I love you too." SAY IT! So Jenny's whole family will be introduced in the next chappie! And we'll see what's up with Mickey AKA Jorge AKA jerk. I tossed the thing in with Abby and Jenny's little niece just because I remember doing that when I was around her age. Lol drove my mom nuts!**

**God I can ramble! Sorry :) I need to chill on the caffeine, buuuut I had h/w tonight and had to study for my math test tomorrow…ugh. Now I'm probably going to crash at about 3:00 am.**


	22. Chapter 22

Both women stood in shock on opposite sides of the doorway. Jenny had not expected to see her sister, and had had no time to prepare for the situation she was in, and certainly not so soon. For once in a very long time, Jenny Shepard had no idea what to say.

Heather recovered her voice first after taking in her sister's appearance. Her hair was still the same vibrant color it had always been, perhaps a little richer, and her ivory skin was still the same other than a few more freckles here and there; but that was the only thing that had not changed. Her long, wavy locks that had always been below her bra strap, were cropped into a sharp pixie cut, set off by a wispy fringe. She was far bustier, and she had possibly even grown an inch or so, or maybe it was just the heels. She was dressed in a smart black skirt suit, sans the blazer, obviously heading into work. What grabbed her attention the most though, was the baby boy with Jenny's eyes, resting on her sister's hip. "Jenny?" she whispered.

"What are you doing here Hevs?" Jenny demanded softly, "Where's your detail."

"I wanted to see you and I knew he wouldn't let me come, so I just left," she said as if it meant nothing before asking the question that she had been itching to ask since Jenny had opened he door. "Jenny is he yours?" she asked, indicating to the boy in Jenny's arms. Jenny was prevented from answering when Jacob cooed at her from his place on her hip, "Ma!"

She squinted her eyes shut as she tensed up. That was not how she planned to explain it.

She opened her eyes to see Heather looking at her, an expression a mixture of shock and hurt on her face. "Well I guess that answers my question," she spat, her words laced with venom. It was then that she started to piece the clues together_. _Her sister had put on weight, even if it was only slight, and it was all in her chest and her stomach. Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh my God!" she breathed, and shrieked, "Are you pregnant?"

"Heather," Jenny sighed, "They're probably going crazy looking for you. Just, come inside. I'll explain okay?"

Her sister stood in the doorway for a moment before reluctantly stepping inside. "Thank you," Jenny sighed, closing the door behind her.

"Look, I need to make a call okay. Let them know where you are, and I need to take care of something at work," Jenny said, the anxiety at their inevitable conversation edging into her voice and her movements. "Just, you know, sit down, or something. I'll be done soon."

Jenny watched as her sister took a seat on the couch, and she lingered only a few moments before retreating to the kitchen to retrieve her cell phone.

As she grabbed her phone from the counter, her son started to move his hands over her face, a past time both of her children had taken to. She had to move his hands away from her mouth, and hold them in place. She smiled at him, as the phone rang, once, then twice, before one of her personal security details, which she had volunteered for her family, answered, his voice tight with anxiety. _"Director Shepard. Your sister, she's missing. It's my fault. I should have been watching her more carefully. She just, she said she was going to the bathroom, and after five minutes I-"_

Jenny cut him off, "It's alright George. My sister can be quite, difficult. Don't worry, she's here, with me."

"_I'm sorry Director, really-"_

She cut him off again, "It's really okay George. No worries. I'll bring her back to the hotel when we're done here."

"_Yes ma'am."_

She ended the call, quickly succeeded by another one. She walked back and forth across the kitchen, bouncing the little boy in her arms gently in an attempt to keep him from growing too restless. She scrunched her nose at him, and he laughed, mimicking her actions. She was caught mid-laugh as Gibbs answered the phone in his usual terse greeting

"Hey," she laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

She looked down at her son, and laughed at seeing him still scrunching his nose. "Jacob. He's trying to copy my faces."

Gibbs laughed, and said, "Tell him I said 'Hi.'"

"Tell him yourself," she said, holding the phone to her son's mouth "Say hi daddy," she whispered, but he was still altogether more concerned with making faces. "Hi," she tried again, waving her hand. Again he made no effort to mirror her, and she laughed, "We'll work on it."

He laughed, as she pulled the phone back to her ear. "What'd you call for Jen? Or did you just want to talk to me?" he asked teasingly.

She laughed. "No. I don't like you that much," she teased, and he cut in

"But you love me."

She was silent for a second as she remembered telling him that only days previously, and his less than satisfying response. " Um…I'm going to be a little later coming in than I thought."

He stopped for a moment, wondering why her demeanor had been changing so abruptly lately, but thought it better to bring it up at home. "You could just stay home," he muttered, and she rolled her eyes.

"But I won't Jethro. As I said, I'll be a little late. My sister is here."

He did not speak for a moment, wondering how she would handle that, before asking, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. I knew I'd have to do it sometime."

"Okay."

"Yeah. So, think you can handle my desk for a few more hours?" she teased.

"Haven't decided yet."

She rolled her eyes, and scoffed, "Don't burn the Agency down Jethro." before turning to her son. "Say bye daddy," she cooed, "Bye-bye," waving her hand.

"Ba!" he screamed, and both adults laughed.

"Close enough," Jenny laughed be returning her attention to his father. "I'll see you later Jethro."

"Bye Jen," he said, and followed it with, "Bye Jacob," knowing his son would be by the phone.

"Ba Da-da," Jacob screamed. Despite his newly acquired liking for increased volumes, both of his parents were stunned into silence.

"Did he just say what I think he did?" he asked, the smile evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Jenny whispered, smiling at the boy in her arms.

"I'll stop by for lunch okay?"

"Okay," Jenny replied softly, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

She tossed her phone back to its original position, on the counter, and headed back into the living room, expecting to find her sister waiting there.

When that proved untrue, she started to panic. _Where was she? _"Heather?" she called, running up the stairs. "Heather?" she demanded, her voice rising in anxiety. She ran through the halls of the second floor, throwing doors open.

"Heath-!" she stopped, finding her sister in her study, what had once been their father's study.

She stood in the doorway, rubbing her son's back soothingly, as he had picked up on her anxiety, and had started to whimper. The running around had probably not helped either.

Her sister looked back at her with watery eyes from her place behind the chair. "This is where it happened?" she asked, referring to their father's death.

Jenny nodded; her green orbs filled with the same pain reflected in her sister's blue ones.

She watched as her sister ran her hands along the desk, and stopped, her eyes drifting to an object resting there. She reached out, picking up a picture frame. Jenny knew exactly the picture it contained. It was one of her, Jethro, and the twins, clouds of white snow surrounding them as the crystals fell to the ground. She sat on his lap, dressed in jeans, a heavy winter coat, and snow boots, sticking her tongue out at him. He faced her laughing. And not a 'Gibbs laugh,' as his had been dubbed, but an all out, gut busting laugh. Each of them held a twin dressed in a snowsuit and a wool cap, in each arm. Leilah's face was scrunched up in laughter, while Jacob looked up at his parents, the beginning of a laugh forming on his face as well, presumably at the face his mother was making.

It was one of Jenny's favorite pictures. It had been a chance snap, courtesy of Ziva. It had been a mediocre snowfall, but it had been the twins' first. They all sat on the porch step of her house ready to pose for a picture when Gibbs had teased her about something, and she had stuck her tongue out at him with a witty comeback. Ziva had accidentally hit the button on the camera at the exact moment, capturing the essence of the day in one snap shot.

Heather looked at her, her expression more so that of regret than anything. "You have a daughter too?" she asked, the regret reflected in her eyes, at not knowing her sister anymore, edging into her voice.

"Yeah," Jenny whispered, a sad smile gracing her face as she thought of her little girl in the hospital, alone, "Leilah." She knew Gibbs had gone to see her numerous times, but until her fever was all the way gone, she had not been allowed in. It broke her heart that she could not be there with her child. She had planned to go that morning, but her temperature had still been 99.8, one degree to high. Her body was still fighting off the lingering bacteria, meaning that she was not healthy yet, and in retrospect, was not allowed into the NICU. She had decided to go to work to get her mind off things. The only reason Gibbs was at work that day was that she had needed someone to run the agency until she got in, and Vance was at an overseas conference.

"They're twins," Jenny said, referring to the boy in her arms.

"Twins?" Heather whispered incredulously, staring at her sister in astonishment before pointing to Gibbs in the picture, "He's their father?"

Jenny nodded. "Yeah. His name's Jethro."

"Are you married?" she asked hesitantly, hoping to God that she had not missed her sister's wedding. She had already missed the birth of her first child, or children.

"No," Jenny laughed, shaking her head. "He's not exactly the marrying type. I guess I'm not either. It works."

"Do you love him?"

Jenny looked at her s moment before nodding her head, "Very much."

Heather nodded, "And you're pregnant again?" she demanded, betrayal edging into her voice once more.

"Yes. It was…a bit of a surprise. All of them were."

"How far?"

"Three months this week."

Heather gave a wry chuckle, swiping at tears. "Three months?" she whispered, her words strangled by the tears. "What about your other two? How old are they?" she asked.

"Almost seven months."

"Mom says you're the Director of some Federal Agency. That true?" she asked running her finger along the edge of a bookshelf."

"NCIS."

Heather turned back to her sister. "What happened Jenny? We used to be so close. We were best friends."

Jenny eyed her sister, sadly, her eyes full of regret. "Mom took you to California, and you never came back. Life happened."

"Where's the other one?" she asked, then clarified, "Your daughter."

A curtain of sadness fell over Jenny's face, and she subconsciously hugged her son tighter to her before answering. "She's in the hospital."

Her sister searched her eyes, shock reflected in her own. "The hospital? Why? What happened? Why aren't you there?"

"She has pneumonia. I can't go, because I have a fever. They won't let me into the NICU."

"Oh Jenny," she sighed sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

"She's there the same reason I was, and the same reason I had to fly you out here. Someone is after me. And they're going through the people I care about to get to me," she lied. None of her family had ever met Gibbs, and she did not think they would take well to acquiring the knowledge that they were in danger because of a choice he had made years ago. "He kidnapped me, and the twins, and Angela. I got away, but he ran me off the road into a lake. I got Pontiac Fever, and it's still lingering, which is why I still have a fever. They let me go once it got down to 99, but it's back up. The twins, they were cold, and starving. They were fine the whole time I we were there. Then, the night before they released me, they told me that she had picked it up. She can't come home until the end of the week."

Her sister's eyes had been growing wider with every word, and she eyed Jenny incredulously, fire in her eyes. "And you didn't think that just maybe, you might tell me about any of that. Really? Mom knew before me. I was fine in my life in California, and then two agents show up on my doorstep telling me that someone wants to kill me, and that I have to bring my husband! Eric does have a job you know. My kids! Jackson, Alana, Isabella, they all have school and friends; Austin, he's only three. I don't want him moved around every few months. I had to move them all back to D.C. because I'm related to you! Did you even consider us when you decided this? "

Jenny left the study, walking into the nursery, followed closely by her sister. She laid her son down in his crib, and shut the door behind her. "Yes," she hissed, "I did consider you. That is the reason you're here in the first place. I want you all safe, so that all of you can go back and do those things. What was I supposed to say Heather?" she demanded, matching her sister's glare with one of her own. "What? Oh hey. I know we have **absolutely nothing** to do with each other anymore, but I just thought I'd call to say I almost died. Oh yeah, I'm pregnant too. And here's the kicker, I already have two kids I never told you about!" she spat. "Oh I'm sure that would have gone over perfectly."

"You could have told us Jenny. Or at least me."

"Why? You made it quite clear three years ago that you shared the same view as our mother." She scoffed. "Heather this is why **I **didn't come to see **you. **I knew this would happen. You're here for your safety, because you are still my family regardless of how we get along, and I don't want anything to happen to you. Once the guy is caught and everything is cleared up, you can go home, back to your life. We can go back to pretending the other doesn't exist."

Both of them heard the door open, and Jenny walked past her sister, knowing that it would be Noemi. Descending the stairs, she caught sight of the young woman, struggling with a multitude of bags. She sped up slightly moving to help her. Noemi jumped slightly, not having noticed she was there. "Oh! Senora! I did not see you."

Jenny smiled at her, grabbing a bag to take into the kitchen, only to be stopped by Noemi.

"Senora you are pregnant. You should not be lifting heavy things."

"It's alright Noemi. It isn't very heavy."

"Senora please."

Jenny dropped the bag reluctantly, picking up a lighter one.

Six hours later, after Jenny had taken her sister back to her hotel, the tension between them tighter than ever, she had gone to work, and there she had stayed for the past three hours. Gibbs had left minutes after she arrived, intending to see Jacob before going to see Leilah. Jenny had managed to get no work done as she had been thinking about her daughter all day. She was beginning to contemplate relinquishing her position as Director now that she had a family.

She sat in her chair, interrupted mid thought as her doors swung open. She looked up abruptly, and smiled seeing Gibbs walk in carrying food, a disgruntled Cynthia behind him. "It's fine Cynthia," she said, rolling her eyes at Gibbs antics, at which her assistant smiled and shut the door behind her.

He walked over to her coffee table without a word as always, and set up their meal of what looked like Thai food. She stood from her seat in her chair, crossing the room. She took her seat in the armchair as he dished out the egg rolls, Duck, Pad Thai, and yellow curry. "Thai?" she asked curiously. It was a change from his normal choices of Chinese or Pizza.

He nodded in confirmation, and she kicked off her shoes, and shrugged out of her blazer, leaving her in only her green Oxford, and her skirt.

They ate in comfortable silence until Jenny happened to look up, and laughed.

He looked at her curiously, and she reached across bringing her hand to his mouth to wipe away sauce. "You had a little something," she said, smiling, and pulled her hand back.

After they had eaten, Jenny moved over to the couch with him, snuggling into his side. "How's Leilah?" she asked softly.

He looked down at her, knowing she was upset at not being able to see her. He could at least deliver good news. "She's good Jen. Antibiotics are working. The cough is almost gone."

She nodded, and relaxed into him once more. Just as she was starting to fall asleep, elevated voices could be heard outside her door. There was Cynthia's stern one, growing increasingly more distressed, and then her visitors; unwelcome ones at that.

She got up from her place on the chair, and pulled her shoes back on, sliding her blazer over her arms. She stormed across the room, and swung her door open, nostrils flared, her eyes burning in fury. She met the eyes of her mother and sister, who seemed to shrink back at her glare. Even Cynthia was somewhat frightened. She had seen her boss in all types of moods, but none so intense as the one she was in at that moment."This is my workplace," Jenny growled, her voice laced with rage, "You will **not** make a scene here." She stepped aside, silently ordering them into her office. They complied, and she slammed the door behind her, so hard that it shook the entire office.

Cynthia took her seat at her desk once more, eyebrows raised, and got back to work.

**A/N: So now you know everybody. Julie, Heather, her husband, Eric, and their kids, Jackson, Alana, Isabella, and Austin. Their personalities will make themselves known in the next chapter most likely. But Julie and Heather are in a world of trouble. Pissing off a pregnant Jenny…so not good. But aww poor Jenny :( She can't see Leilah even if she wants to.**

**Okay so anyway I hope you liked it guuuys! :)**

**S/N: Football game last night! We remain undefeated! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Shout outs peoples!**

**Jollymonkee5613,Tempe4Booth****, ****NCIS87****, ****JET1967****, ****Lavender Angel-96****, ****Fiva4Tiva****, ****JiBbS-tIvA4eVs****, ****ladybugsmomma****, ****JibbsShipper****, ****pirate-princess1****, ****basket-case1880****, ****Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape****, ****Herky Illiniwek****, AAAAAH! 206 Reviews! You guys are so ridiculously awesome you don't even know :D Thanks lots and lots guys :)**

**And to anonymous reviewer Marykate, I couldn't respond via PM, soo to answer your question, high school. :)**

Jenny spun on her heel to face her mother and sister. "Where are your details?" she demanded. At receiving no response, she raised her voice, "Where. Are they?"

I told him to bring us here," Julie replied, stepping forward.

"Why?"

"We were here yesterday. The children wanted to see your forensic specialist. Do you have a problem with that Jennifer?"

"No! What I **do** have a problem with, is you two, coming into **my** agency, **harassing** my assistant, and causing unneeded turmoil. There is plenty for us to worry about without you adding your two cents!"

"Yes I'm sure there is. And not in your work life alone."

Jenny snapped her eyes to her sister. "You told her?" she demanded incredulously.

"I didn't mean to," Heather replied, looking remorseful for the first time since she had entered the office.

"You didn't mean to? Right," Jenny spat, venom-laden sarcasm dripping from her words.

"So it's true?" Julie demanded.

"Completely," Jenny replied simply, pushing the fabric of her shirt tighter around her body so that her growing belly was clearly visible.

"How long?"

"Almost three months."

"And the father? Is he even a part of it's life, or did you just get yourself knocked up?" Julie spat in anger, inwardly regretting her harsh words.

Gibbs instinctively stood from his place on the couch, realizing that the argument could get ugly. "The father," Jenny bit back as he came up beside her, "is very much a part of their lives, and mine."

Julie paused picking up on Jenny's plural use of the word. "Lives? There is more than one?"

Jenny realized her blunder, and cursed herself, knowing that she would have to explain now. "Yes. My other two. Leilah and Jacob. They're twins. Seven months old."

Julie just stared at her, stunned into silence. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "You've cut me out of your life. I don't even know you anymore."

"You cut yourself out of my life. You made that decision mom. But you couldn't expect my world stop spinning just because you were no longer in it." Jenny paused momentarily, the gravity of her words sinking in for Julie. When she continued, her voice was calm, void of the storm of emotions that had swirled through the room only moments ago. "We should go check on the kids." She said, moving toward the door the way, Gibbs at her side, closely followed by her mother and sister.

Julie and Heather watched as Jenny's stride took on a different, something, as she walked out of her office. Her gaze grew watchful as it spanned over the banister of the catwalk. The change in people's demeanors was subtle, but noticeable, as she walked down the staircase, and through the bullpen. She was obviously respected there, perhaps even somewhat feared. It was clear she had made a name for herself. Just as the elevator doors opened, Jenny's assistant, ran to the banister. "Director!" she called, "They need you in MTAC! Code Orange, bordering on Red!"

That was easily heard by everyone, and as all of them knew what that meant, they started to panic. "Jethro get those kids up here. Ducky and Abby too," she told Gibbs before running off towards the stairs at a pace that seemed impossible in heels. As she backed off up the stairs, her voice bellowed through the bullpen, "Everyone, take the necessary precautions. You know what to do. Team leaders supervise! Make sure that everything is done correctly!" she then turned to an un-expecting McGee. "McGee, with me! I want you to work from our central computer system, and make sure that **no one** can get in."

He shut down his computer, and ran behind her to catch up. She was moving incredibly fast period, and almost impossibly so for a pregnant woman in heels and a tight skirt.

Just as the elevator doors closed, Gibbs, Heather, and Julie heard the doors to MTAC closed as Jenny and McGee disappeared behind them.

Jenny strode into MTAC to see SecNav on the screen. "Sir."

"Jennifer. A man called several hours ago. He said, 'Their deaths will be avenged,' and hung up. We tried to trace the call, but it was on a disposable cell phone. He sounded Iranian, so we're assuming he was talking about his country. We've tested the air, and there are heightened traces of certain elements. The President and his family have already been delivered to a safe house. Our other political leaders on their way there now. The FBI and CIA, Mueller and Hayden are staying on call, but they've already had their families moved. I plan to do the same. I suggest you do so as well."

As if on cue, one of the techs spoke up, "Director, Agent Gibbs is trying to access MTAC."

"Let him in Danielle," she ordered before turning her attention back to the screen, "I'm staying as well Sir. My family though, I want them escorted to safety. My son and this nanny are at my home. My daughter is at Betheda, but I still want her moved. And my brother in law is in room 507 at the Ritz Carlton. The rest of my family, is already here, and will do best to stay locked into the building.

"I agree. I trust you've locked down the agency. No one in or out." At her nod in confirmation, he continued, "Good. We'll be in touch soon Jennifer. Wait for my call."

"Yes Sir."

The screen went black, and Jenny turned to face Gibbs. "How bad?" he asked.

She sighed, shaking her head, "Honestly. Right now, I think they're overreacting, but it's hard to say. Either way I'm going to see that Noemi and the twins are escorted safely."

He grabbed her by the elbow, gently tugging her back, and she eyed him expectantly, an eyebrow raised.

"We're in lockdown for a reason Jen."

"Yes Jethro I know. I'm the one who ordered it."

"Lockdown means no one in or out. Even the Director."

"I know the rules Jethro, but the thing is, I'm the Director. I make them."

"Not when it comes to this Jenny."

She eyed him incredulously and scoffed. "You expect me to just sit here while the lives of my children are entrusted into the hands of some random Fed?"

"You are a Fed Jen," he reminded her.

"Yeah well. They're the Feds I don't like."

He chuckled, trying not to show the emotions he too was feeling. "They're on their way now Jenny. They'll call when they get here. It'll be okay Jen."

"Jethro if they don't call in half an hour I'm going."

"Jen…"

"That's the end of it Jethro."

He glared at her, but she seemed unfazed, simply matching it with one to rival his own. "What do you want to do with your family?"

"I'll bring them up here," she sighed, "I've got to go get everyone up to speed though."

She walked past him, rubbing at the knots in her neck, something that did not go unnoticed by Gibbs. She strode out on the catwalk, and leaned over the railing, speaking so that her voice could be heard. "SecNav has confirmed that we are, in fact, in Code Orange. At this point, it really is just a threat, but we plan to play it by ear. That really is all I can tell you at the moment." A soft jumble of chatter broke out over the bullpen and Jenny caught her sister's eye and crooked a finger at her.

She waited on the catwalk as her sister and mother climbed the stairs, followed by her sister's four children. She spun on her heel, heading for MTAC as they reached the top of the stairs, though she stopped in her tracks as a small voice called to her. "Aunt Jenny!" her niece, Alana, screamed, running toward her, ignoring her mother's hiss of her name.

Jenny turned, squatting, just as the young girl ran to her, falling into her arms. "Hi honey," she laughed, hugging the small red head. She was the spitting image of her mother with pale skin, Roman features, dark red hair, and sapphire blue eyes.

Alana pulled back from her aunt. "Mommy said to wait to say hi. She said you were working, but I didn't think you'd mind."

Jenny smiled. "No honey. I don't mind."

Her niece grinned. "Good, because I really missed you. Like a lot. You're not going to go away again right?"

Jenny smiled tightly, trying to decide how best to explain her relationship with the child's mother. It was difficult to explain such adult matters to the young child.

Her brother spoke up behind them, still standing by his mother and grandmother, "She's not coming back."

Jenny looked up at the boy who had grown so much since she had last seen him. He still had his father's dark hair, hazel eyes, and Italian nose, as well as the skin tone, a mix between his mother's pale one, and his father's tanned. He had been the perfect mix of the two of them. The first child. But his face had slimmed somewhat, and he had grown nearly four inches.

"She's not coming back because she and mom hate each other." He always had been too smart for his own good.

"Is that true Aunt Jenny?" Alan asked, looking at her with large eyes. "Do you hate mommy?"

Jenny held Jackson's gaze for a moment before turning back to her niece. "No," she said adamantly, "I don't hate your mommy. I love her very much. And no matter what, I'll always be here when you need me okay?"

Alana nodded in satisfaction, and in perfect timing, one of the MTAC techs ran into the hallway, nearly bumping into the red headed Director, and the girl at her elbow.

"I'm sorry Director," he apologized. "SecNav is calling."

Jenny's mask of professionalism fell back over her face as she nodded. She scanned herself into MTAC, and strode in, but not before telling Gibbs to take her family to her office. Striding down the ramp, she took the headpiece from one of her techs, then motioned for them to start the feed.

He complied, and Jenny's boss appeared on the screen, followed closely, by the respective Director's of the FBI and CIA. She was definitely the only girl in a boy's club, but she could hold her own. "Do we have any new information?" she asked.

"The FBI has eyes on hospitals, shopping centers, indoor malls, parks, places with large amounts of civilians."

"With all due respect Sir, do we actually have any good Intel on this?"

"Jennifer this is the time of year that people's senses are heightened about terrorist attacks. September through December or so. We're right in the middle of that in November. We can not afford something like 9/11 again."

Jenny sighed, "Yes Sir I know that, but we've had numerous threat calls like this since then."

"Correct. But we were able to trace them within minutes then, even if the phone was prepaid. They were usually stupid teenagers acting on a dare. Whoever it is this time, he's much smarter than that. He's figured out how to jam our technology. We can't afford to take any chances on this one."

She nodded before directing her attention to the FBI Director. "Anything on your end Rob?"

"No word of any threats yet. We're thinking if anything, it's going to be in a very public area."

"Yeah. I got that part. Do we have **anything **on this?" she demanded, frustrated with the apparent lack of progression.

"We're doing what we can Jenny," Hayden said, wondering why she was being so volatile. Then again, she usually was.

Jenny's eyes snapped to him, and he started to wish he had not spoken. "You Michael, you're the director of the CIA. You especially should have something done. You've got the biggest pull out of all of us."

"Like we said Jenny, this guy is blocking our technology. There isn't much we can do to trace him."

Jenny was about to spit out a witty comeback when Mueller's screen caught their attention. They all eyed him expectantly, and soon another screen came up, a feed of what looked like a shopping mall. People were running, their screams filling the air, as smoke spilled out of the lower windows of the building. "What the hell is that?" she demanded, her eyes flashing.

She received no response, and she screamed, "Robert! What the **hell** is that?" Her feet, and back hurt, she had hardly eaten all day. She had a horrible headache, and she was exhausted. She was not in the mood for games.

"Georgetown Park."

"The shopping center?" His silence was the only response she needed, and her eyes narrowed. "How did this happen?" she growled, "I thought your men were watching places like this. Are they stupid?"

"That's uncalled for Jenny," Mueller said, knowing that his part had not been done, but that was no reason for her to insult his men.

"No. **That**," she screamed, pointing to the image on the screen, "is uncalled for."

They all snapped their attention to the image as a soot covered, Middle Eastern man exited the flaming building, screaming maniacally. "Their deaths will be avenged. I am not the only one. You cannot stop us. The deaths of Muslims across the world will be avenged!"

Jenny thought for a moment before her head snapped up in realization. "That's not an Iranian accent. It's Israeli." She snatched her headpiece off tossing it into a chair in the front row, and ran out of MTAC, ignoring the inquiries of the men behind her.

"Ziva!" she called to her friend, leaning over the railing. The Israeli looked up abruptly, and Jenny motioned for her to come to her, "I need a favor."

Just as the Israeli started her ascent up the stairs, Jenny caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see her youngest nephew toddling past her down the catwalk. She sighed, and scooped him up in her arms. "What are you doing out here? Huh?" she asked gently, tickling his tummy.

He giggled, and she took off at a jog, heading for her office. She threw her door open, setting the little boy on the ground. "Watch him Heather," she scolded her younger sister, "We don't have safety gates." She ran back out of the room, knowing that she needed to get back into MTAC.

"Eat something Jenny!" her sister yelled after her, worried for her well being, and Jenny waved a hand in response.

She met up with an awaiting Ziva, and grabbed her gently by the arm, dragging her into MTAC with her. They walked down the ramp, meeting the expectant looks of the three men on the screen. Jenny made quick work of the introductions, "Ziva David, FBI Director, Robert Mueller, CIA Director, Michael Hayden. Michael, Robert, Ziva David. And of course you know the Secretary."

She turned to look at Mueller and said, "Rewind the tape." He hesitated, and her patience stretched thinner. "You want to catch him right?" she demanded. "Rewind the tape."

He did as he was told, and as their assumed terrorist appeared on the screen, Jenny pointed to the screen. "Pause it." He complied, and she ordered him to blow it up. "Do you know him?" she asked, turning to Ziva. The look of hatred on her friend's face told her all she needed to know.

"That man is a traitor to Israel," Ziva spat, "His name is Aamir Eilat. He set off bombs all over our country. He has killed insane numbers of people."

Jenny nodded. "Use your contacts Ziva. Find out everything you can tell us about this man."

The entire Agency had gone into overdrive. The whole country had, despite the fact that the majority of the country knew nothing about what was going on. Jenny had been locked in MTAC for three hours and had not seen either of her children since they had arrived, nor her brother in law. She had not sat down even once, and she still had not eaten. She was banned from her usual meal replacement, coffee, and was growing increasingly aggravated with their lack of progress. Ziva was still working with her contact, and had not gotten any information to her yet. She felt as if she would collapse at any minute, and it obviously showed. Her boss had already asked her twice if she was alright. Both times she had assured him she was fine. She would never live it down if they were reminded even once that she was a woman, or that her stamina was not a great as theirs. She knew the reason she was so exhausted. She was pregnant. But there was no way she could tell them that. SecNav would have her in a chair so fast her head would spin. That was the thing she had been dreading about pregnancy; being constantly fawned over, and treated as if she would break at any moment.

Jenny watched as a view of Bethesda Naval Medical Center appeared on the screen, and her heart stopped as an SUV sped through the front doors, two men shooting out of the window, a waterfall of bullets behind them. They were neutralized within seconds by several men in suits, presumably the FBI, but the car continued to move, wreaking havoc on the inside of the hospital, she was sure.

Both Gibbs and Ziva were at her side in an instant. She had not even heard the doors open. She felt Ziva place a folder in her hand and, she grabbed it, flipping through the files inside. She snapped her head up, speaking both to Mueller and Hayden. "There are twenty-six of them at last count. There were three in that car, which means that twenty-two are still here. She gave them the addresses of their numerous locations, and watched as they gave orders to their agents.

Within twenty minutes, it had been established that there had been no civilian casualties. One FBI agent was dead, and the men in the car had been their only other casualties. Even so, nineteen people were injured, six of them severely so.

Within an hour, the terrorist cells had been taken down. The President appeared on the screen, "Good job everybody. You made a difference today."

He received a chorus of 'thank you's' and he cut his feed, quickly succeeded by Mueller, and Hayden, so that only Jenny and SecNav remained.

"You did good today Jenny. You got the job done when the rest of us were at a loss, regardless of how much we wouldn't like to admit it. You'll certainly get a mention from me."

"Thank you Sir," Jenny replied, the weariness she was felling overwhelming her voice.

"Get some rest Jenny."

"Yes Sir."

He cut his feed, and Jenny removed her headset, before turning to her techs. "Good job everyone," she said, her voice soft as her exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her, "Go home. Get some rest."

She sat in MTAC while everyone packed up, and she was the last to leave. Opening the door, she jumped as Gibbs almost ran into her.

He grabbed her by her biceps, afraid she would fall over. "You alright Jen?"

"I'm fine Jethro," she sighed, "just tired."

"That's gotta be the understatement of the century Jen. You look like you're about to fall over."

She chuckled softly, "You sure know how to make a girl feel pretty," she teased.

"You're beautiful Jenny, but you look exhausted."

"I am. But I've still got things to take care of."

"Jen. You're pregnant. You can't try to be wonder woman forever. You're gonna run yourself into the ground."

"Being pregnant doesn't mean I can shirk my responsibilities Jethro."

"You can slow down though."

"No Jethro. I can't," she whispered, resting a hand on his chest momentarily, before pushing past him, onto the catwalk. She raised her voice loud enough to be heard, even though it seemed to take everything she had. "Everyone, you can leave. The threat has been neutralized. Go home. Get some rest. Be ready for work tomorrow. 0700."

As everyone started to disperse, Jenny dragged herself to her office. She pushed the door open, and smiled, seeing her assistant coloring with her nieces. They all looked up at the sound of the door opening, and Cynthia greeted her boss in surprise. "Director!"

"You can go home Cynthia," she said, smiling kindly at the younger woman.

She nodded, and moved to her feet, but not before, squeezing the little girls' shoulders affectionately. They both giggled with a, "Bye Cynthia."

"Bye girls," she said, exiting the room.

Jenny smiled at the exchange, ambling over to the couch where Gibbs sat with both of her children. She dropped down next to him, taking their sleeping daughter from him.

"She can stay home," he whispered into her hair, referring to their daughter. She looked up at him curiously and he continued. "She took to the antibiotics faster than they thought. They said she could stay home as long as we keep giving her antibiotics for the week."

Jenny smiled, and she leaned back, her head resting on his shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do if she was in that hospital," she mumbled, her voice low as well, so as not to be heard by the rest of her family.

"She wasn't. You made all the right decisions today. You did good Jen."

She nodded, and rested the hand not holding their daughter on his thigh.

The moment of tranquility did not last long before her niece, Alana crawled over to her, leaving her younger sister to color alone. "Are you okay Aunt Jenny?" she whispered.

"I'm fine honey. Aunt Jenny is just tired," she said, smiling softly at the young girl, grabbing her face affectionately.

Alana nodded, and Jenny moved to get up, that slight interruption making her realize that she could not continue to sit there, no matter how much she would have liked.

Her body though, had other plans as a wave of dizziness washed over her and her vision crossed temporarily. It was short lived, but enough to grab Gibbs' attention.

"Come on. We're going home," he said, and she nodded. He helped her up, and the fact that she did not protest worried him more than anything. Heather moved forward quickly, taking Leilah from her, while Eric and their mother, got the other children together.

Forty minutes later, they pulled up to Jenny's stately Georgetown home, and Heather sensed her mother's apprehension the moment it came into view. "It looks totally different," she said, assuring her mother it would not be a, 'blast from the past.'

Jenny had fallen asleep on the way there, and Gibbs lifted her into his arms, heading up the walkway, the rest of Jenny's family on his heels.

While Heather and her husband got their children settled into their rooms, Julie followed behind Gibbs, the twins in her hands. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized where they were headed; the room she had once shared with her late husband. She gathered that Jenny had turned it into her room.

Unable to bring herself to enter the room, she walked past him, intent on settling the twins in the nursery.

Gibbs laid Jenny on the bed, doing his best not to wake her. She still stirred slightly, however, and mumbled his name. "Go back to sleep Jenny," he whispered, hoping she would. When she did, he undressed her so that she would not sleep in her work clothes.

Several minutes later, Jenny's mother pushed the door open slowly, hoping not to wake her daughter. She crossed the room, stopping in front of a sleeping Jenny. She hesitated before bringing a hand to her daughter's face, brushing away the stray hairs there. "I'm proud of you Jenny," she whispered, and a small smile graced Jenny's face. Though she was sure she was still asleep, Julie was positive Jenny had heard her.

**A/n: This one really was quite long, but I hope you liked it. :) So, Jenny's family got the chance to see her in action, and they're kind of seeing how her life is. They're not totally okay, but definitely getting there. And now, the morning awaits them. Awkward much? But yay! Leilah can stay home! :D **

**Kay guys, so just FYI, Code Orange means high risk of terrorist attacks, and Code Red means severe risk of terrorist attacks. Just for those who didn't know, cuz I didn't, for like ever. :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/n: Aha! I made it! I actually got it up tonight Lol! Sorry for any little grammar/spelling errors if I made them. I'll re/proof read it tomorrow and fix the little things, but I hope you like it guys :)**

**I can't forget shoutouts!**

**JET1967, Lavender Angel-96, basket-case1880, Herky Illiniwek, Tempe4Booth, Fiva4Tiva, Liraeyn, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs, pirate-princess1, ladybugsmomma, you guys' reviews make me smile and always make my day that much better. Thanks u guyuuuys! :)**

Jenny woke the next morning, to an empty bed, an unusual occurrence. She heard the running faucet in the bathroom, though, and assumed that Gibbs was already up. She ran a hand through her hair, clearing the sleep from her eyes with the other. She was starting to dislike the new cut. It was undeniably easier and she certainly gained respect from the men on the hill quicker, but even so, she missed her longer locks.

She rolled over to look at the clock, gasping at the blaring red numbers, reading 1100. She jumped out of bed, nearly running into Gibbs. She looked at him incredulously, furious he had let her oversleep. "Jethro! We're late! I can't believe you let me oversleep!"

He scooped her into his arms without a word, eliciting a shriek from her. He tossed her onto the bed, albeit gently, and she looked up at him, disbelievingly. "Jethro!"

"SecNav gave us the day off," he said simply, falling onto the bed beside her. "Said you needed a break."

She eased back into the pillows slowly, eyeing him skeptically, until finally she relaxed, reaching across him to grab the remote, only to have him pull her to him. She shrieked, and giggled, "Jethro!"

She leaned down to kiss him. Smiling against his lips, she reached for the remote in his hand.

They were interrupted abruptly, and unexpectedly, when the door flew open and Isabella ran in, her red curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Aunt Jenny!" she shouted, a grin on her face. Taken by surprise, Jenny screamed, rolling off of Gibbs, and onto the floor with a thud.

Gibbs was instantly concerned, hopped out of bed, rushing to her side, but at finding that she was fine having fallen on her bottom, had to smile at the slightly perturbed look on her face.

"It's not funny Jethro," she ground out, chucking the closest thing she could find, a book, at his head. He dodged it by a hair, and chuckled. Her gaze then flitted to the young girl standing, shell shocked, in the middle of the floor, looking as if she were about to cry.

Jenny smiled at her forgivingly, waving the younger redhead to her side. "Come here honey," she beckoned her niece gently, and was glad for the fact that she was wearing one of her few pairs of simple, cotton boy shorts. The little girl ran to her, looking ashamed. "It's okay Izzy," Jenny said, brushing a stray curl from the five year old's face, "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wasn't expecting to see you."

"I'm sorry Aunt Jenny. I wanted to surprise you. I didn't mean to make you hurt."

"I'm fine honey," Jenny laughed trying to reassure the girl.

"Is grandma going to kiss it better?"

Jenny looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Grandma's your mommy. Mommy kisses my hurts better."

Jenny smiled. "No Izzy. I'm all grown up, so my mommy doesn't have to kiss mine better."

"It just gets better on it's own?" the little girl asked in awe, wondering how that was possible.

Jenny laughed at her niece's naivety, and nodded. "Yeah. It gets better all on its own."

It was at that moment that Heather walked in, her expression concerned. Having heard Jenny's scream, and the thud, she had climbed the stairs to investigate. Taking in her sister's position on the floor, Gibbs at her side, and the guilty look on her daughter's face, she put two and two together, and scolded her daughter. "Izzy, I told you to knock."

"It's fine Heather," Jenny said, rising from her spot on the floor, and turned back to her niece. "How about you go downstairs with your mommy, and I'll be down in a little bit okay?"

Heather shut the door behind them, wondering if it was coincidence that her sister had not yet met her eyes.

Jenny turned to Gibbs, and she tried to glare at him, but failed, now finding the whole situation all together quite funny. She grabbed a pair of shorts from her drawer, searching for a pair of pants for him. She would be glad when he moved his things in at the end of the week.

Five minutes later, Jenny walked into the hallway, shutting her door behind her, Gibbs having gone downstairs only seconds previously. Turning around, she nearly bumped into her mother.

"Jenny!" Julie breathed in surprise, holding a hand to her chest.

"Sorry mom," Jenny apologized, smiling tightly. She was not exactly sure how to interact with her mother after so many years. Yesterday had simply been a break of sorts. She watched her mother's eyes drift momentarily to her belly, clearly visible in her form fitting shirt, despite its minute curvature. She smiled tightly again before walking down the stairs in front of her mother.

Julie sighed, thinking that she had not handled the situation very well. She hadn't really handled it at all.

She walked into the kitchen, smiling to see her eldest daughter interacting with her nieces and nephews. She caught the eye of her younger daughter, who was watching from a distance, and smiled softly.

Jenny caught Austin trying to steal a slice of bacon off of her plate, and grabbed him, sending him into a fit of giggles. Her boyfriend, Jethro, she was sure his name was, came up behind her, whispering something indistinguishable into her ear, and Jenny turned to look at him over her shoulder, smiling at him. The look in her eyes though, was unmistakable. She obviously loved the silver haired man with all her heart, and he her. She grabbed his toast from his hand, taking a bite, before handing it back to him, grinning mischievously.

After breakfast, or brunch, rather, Jenny went to check on the twins, only after being batted out of the kitchen by her mother and sister.

She pushed the door to the nursery open, finding her daughter sleeping for once, while her son lay in his crib, contentedly playing with his feet. She chuckled, when he squealed in joy as she came into view. She lifted him from his crib, swinging him onto her hip. She went back downstairs, almost running into a running Alana as she reached the foot of the stairs. "Be careful Alana," Jenny scolded her niece.

"Sorry Aunt Jenny," the seven-year-old child apologized, but her eyes lit up at the sight of the wriggly baby on her aunt's hip. "Can I hold him Aunt Jenny?" she begged, the excitement clearly threatening to burst out of her.

"Yes. But you have to be **careful**," she said, emphasizing the word in regards to her earlier statement. The little girl looked sheepish, and Jenny smiled before directing her niece to the living room.

Alana hopped up onto the couch, and held her arms outstretched. She knew what to do from when her brother was born. Jenny laughed, and sat down beside her niece, transferring the squirming boy into her lap. She wrapped the child's arms around Jacob securely, and got up from the couch, sliding into the recliner diagonal it. She smiled, watching the younger red head, cooing softly to the baby.

Jenny did not hear her sister come up behind her, and jumped when she spoke, albeit softly. "Thank you."

Jenny leaned her head back slightly to look at her sister as she watched her daughter, who had since moved to the floor, and was playing with her cousin. Heather elaborated further, "For this. For letting them be a part of this. Letting them interact with their cousins," she said, nodding toward the floor, where Isabella had joined her sister.

Jenny turned back to watch the children, silent for a few moments before she spoke again, "We're family. Even if it's only for a little while."

"Well. I hope it's longer than that," Heather, whispered, before turning to head back into the kitchen.

Jenny smiled softly, and once again returned her attention to the children on the floor.

The next day, Jenny and Gibbs went to work while her family stayed with the children, giving Noemi the day off.

They had been at work for nearly six hours when Gibbs came bursting through the doors to her office, not an unusual occurrence by any means, and she looked up at him expectantly. Seeing the angry look on his face, she still saw nothing unusual, and eyed him expectantly.

"You need to see this," he said, and something in his voice made her stand. She followed him, down the stairs and into the bullpen. Taking in the grim faces of the team, she grew concerned.

She rounded the corner to look at the big screen, a picture of Jorge Rodriguez displayed across the plasma. "Why is he up there?" she demanded.

"We can't find him," Tony spoke up, and she snapped her head to her left to look at him..

"What do you mean you can't find him?" she demanded, "It's been over a week."

"Exactly our point. We've been searching for him as long. No one has seen him in airports or tollbooths. He hasn't made any purchases. No one has seen him in grocery stores. Nowhere."

Ziva cut in, "He has essentially dropped off the map Jenny."

Jenny looked between the faces of the team, and finally back to Gibbs before heading back to her office without a word.

Seconds after her door slammed, it flew open again as Gibbs strode in. "What do you want Jethro?" she sighed, sliding her reading glasses onto her face, grabbing a file from the corner of her desk.

"We'll find 'im Jen."

"No," she said, sliding her glasses back down, looking up at him, "We'll just be using man power we can't afford to use. He's gone Jethro. He won't risk it if he's decided to disappear. I'll have to send my family home. I'll wait a few days but if we don't find anything, I'll just send them home."

"Jen…"

"There's no need to keep them here any longer Jethro," she reasoned, a sense of finality in her voice, "They have lives to get back to."

"And what if their lives are put in danger because you don't want to make things uncomfortable?" he demanded, leaning over her desk.

"I wouldn't be sending them back if I weren't sure they would be safe! And if there's no need for it, I **don't** want to make things uncomfortable."

"For who? You or them?"

"Excuse me?" she growled, "I care about my family Jethro. Enough so that I will not treat them as prisoners!"

"And if he does resurface?"

"He won't."

Gibbs stormed out of her office, slamming the doors so hard that she flinched involuntarily.

Several days had passed, and there had been no signs of Jorge, or anyone in association with him.

Jenny and Gibbs were walking the fine line between love and hate; neither had spoken to the other unless absolutely necessary, but if anyone had noticed, they did not say anything.

Jenny stood, with her nieces, in the room that had been shared by the two girls, getting the last of their things packed.

"Aunt Jenny, are we going to see you again?" Alana asked, her bottom lip trembling.

Jenny looked between her, and her younger sister, wearing the same face. "Oh. Look girls, come here," she said, gently, and both children moved to sit on the bed with her. She put her arms around both children, hugging them tightly. "You will see me again. And Jacob, and Leilah, and Uncle Jet too okay?" she soothed them, smiling at the nickname the girls had given to Gibbs.

Both children nodded, and she turned their faces to her, brushing away their stray tears. It was then that she realized that her eldest nephew, Jackson, had hardly uttered a word to her since he had been there. She had certainly been closest with him, out of all the children, before the falling out with his mother. She supposed he was the only one old enough to really remember his emotions. It was no wonder he was hesitant to get close to her after she had seemingly walked out of his life so abruptly. She only hoped their relationship was not permanently in turmoil.

After dropping her family at the airport, Jenny and Gibbs walked into the house, she trying to stay away from him, while he would not leave her alone. They had been arguing about the smallest of things, and on their way back from the airport had been one more incident; the hair that broke the camel's back.

"Get away from me Jethro," she spat, storming through the house, into her study. She grabbed the bottle of bourbon from her liquor cabinet, and poured herself a healthy glass, before realizing that she could not drink it. She slammed the glass onto the table in anger, sending alcohol sloshing over the sides, just as Gibbs walked in.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, eyeing the alcohol on the desk.

She glared at him, as if daring him to speak the words he was insinuating. What came out of his mouth was far from what she was expecting.

"What's with you and Dinozzo Jen?" he demanded of her. He was fed up with her secrets. Their inevitable argument had been put on hold, what with her multiple hospitalizations, and the numerous issues they had dealt with. "He's always in your office, and you're always getting out of bed at night to take phone calls from him."

She looked at him incredulously, and scoffed, "What are you insinuating Jethro?"

"Not insinuating anything Jen. Just a question."

"So you're flat out saying you don't trust me."

"I didn't say that. Like I said, just a question."

She scoffed again, looking to the glass of alcohol on the table, before once more meeting his eyes. "Jethro if you don't trust me this won't work."

"You haven't exactly given me a reason to trust you lately Jenny. Or ever for that matter. You've always been one to keep secrets."

"Do not preach to me about secrets Jethro. You have no right. If that's your reasoning, then I have no reason to trust you either," she said adamantly, pausing only slightly before continuing, "So. Is that what you're saying? You never trusted me to begin with?" His hesitation, no matter how slight, was answer enough for her. "I guess we never had a chance anyway," she whispered, her gaze steady, despite the rush of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

That was not how he had planned for things to go, but he also knew that her emotions were going crazy, and there had been the off chance that it would. "Jesus Jenn-"

She cut him off, her voice calm, "We can figure out something for the kids Jethro, but you need to leave. You can get your things later. I guess you're moving out at the end of the week instead of moving in."

"Jenny," he tried.

"Get out. Jethro," she ground out, feeling her breaking point approaching.

"Jenny, you're overreacting."

"No Jethro. I am not. How are we supposed to have a relationship if we can't trust each other!

He turned to leave, deciding that letting her cool off was his best option, but at the door, he made the mistake of trying to talk to her once more. "Je-"

He was stopped as she sent the glass of bourbon sailing toward his head. Her aim was off by no more than the width of her little finger, giving him just enough time to dodge the flying shards of glass.

"Get out Jethro!" she demanded. She heard the front door slam behind him, and headed up the stairs to her bedroom, thankful for the fact that the twins had gone to Angela's house for the night. She crawled into her bed, what used to be their bed; and still, she kept the promise she had made to herself so many years ago. She would not cry over any man. This one though, brought her about as close as she had ever come.

**A/n: Oh no! Jorge is one sneaky dude. He disappeared with _Gibbs_ looking for him!.. And man! Jenny and those pregnancy mood swings..but she'll come around right? She didn't mean it. Right? Right? So you guys know me. Every time it goes right I'****ve gotta throw a drama wrench into it. :D Tehe**


	25. Chapter 25

Jenny had come in early that morning, before even Gibbs had arrived; that being her intention. She did not want to see him unless absolutely necessary, and definitely not alone.

She had been locked in her office all day, doing paperwork, making calls, or otherwise. She reached across her desk for a file, and felt the strap of her bra pop against her shoulder. She groaned, and got up to check in her bathroom mirror. Sure enough, she had popped her bra strap. She sighed. She would have to go shopping later; that was the second one that week. She rummaged through her desk drawers, searching in vain for something to hold it together until she could get home.

Finding nothing of the sort, she reluctantly hit the button for Cynthia's phone. "Cynthia?" she called her assistant over the intercom of their phones.

"Yes Director?"

"You wouldn't happen to have a safety pin would you?"

"A safety pin?" Cynthia inquired skeptically, wondering if she had heard her right.

"Yes. I snapped a strap."

Cynthia nodded in understanding, though Jenny could not see her. "Sure. Give me a second?"

"Thank you Cynthia," Jenny thanked her assistant gratefully, ending the transmission.

Three minutes later, Cynthia was finishing up helping Jenny, who had managed to inconspicuously hide her belly, fix her bra strap; Tony burst through the doors, stopping at seeing what she was doing. His behavior was seeming to become a habit.

"Sorry," he apologized lamely, "Cynthia wasn't at her desk-"

She cut him off abruptly, "So you barged in Dinozzo?" Cynthia made sure the strap was secure before voicing her determination that it would hold until she got home.

Jenny thanked her, sliding her sweater back down over her skirt.

Tony shut the door behind the young woman, and jenny felt the need to explain, hoping to diffuse an extremely awkward situation. "I um…broke a bra strap, and I had Cynthia get me a safety pin." She looked to him approaching her, and mused aloud, 'I don't even know why I'm telling you that."

"To ease the awkwardness of the moment."

She smirked teasingly. "We know each other so well, Tony there are no awkward moments."

"Yeah, may I?" he asked, in regards to her computer. He knew that she was trying to make him feel as awkward as possible. It was just in her personality. Or maybe it was him. He shook his head of the irrelevant thoughts, typing in the necessary information before Harrow's picture came up.

Thirty minutes later, Gibbs walked out of Jenny's office with her. Tony had only come back downstairs from her office, moments previously. They were hiding something, and he planned to get whatever it was out of her, one way or another. "You haven't been straight with me since I-"

"Quit?" Jenny cut him off.

"Retired," he corrected her pointedly.

"When you left on your margarita safari this Agency did not cease operation."

"Margarita safari?" That was original.

"This agency didn't shut down. New operations were put in motion. One of them sent Tony undercover." She was getting tired of his prying. It was none of his business.

"Well I'm back. And I won't have a part time Senior field Agent," he informed her adamantly.

"It's your own fault you know."

"For what?" he demanded, "Leaving or coming back?"

_Leaving, _she wanted to say, but bit her tongue, coming up with a witty comeback instead. "For teaching me your rules," she bit back smartly, "Best way to keep a secret, keep it to yourself. Second best, tell one other person if you must. There is no third best." She turned on her heel. "That's rule number four isn't it?"

"Number one supersedes all of the others," he reminded her, following her down the stairs.

She chuckled wryly, "Never screw your partner?" That ship had certainly sailed.

"Never screw **over **your partner!"

She stopped turning back, pushing him back against the window. "I **never** screwed you over," she insisted, and moved so their noses were nearly touching, her eyes hard, "And I'm not your partner. _In any sense. Not anymore._ I'm your **boss."**

She spun on her heel, leaving him standing there in resigned agitation.

Jenny sat in MTAC watching a slideshow of the potential ARES buyers when Gibbs walked in, setting what smelled like a cup of peppermint tea, into the cup holder at her arm. It was her favorite. He was trying to make nice with her.

He dropped into the seat next to her, even when she said nothing and did nothing; outright refusing to acknowledge him. "Sitting in the dark, staring at pictures of your enemies, could be could be considered obsessive."

"Kind of like building a fourth boat when you haven't even sailed the first three."

He smirked, before asking, "How well do you know The Black Rose?"

"Well enough to know I'd like her if she wasn't an arms dealer," she replied, keeping her eyes trained on the screen.

"And the Frog?"

She turned to look at him, a maniacal anger in her eyes. He turned to face her, "La Grenouilleee," he said, dragging out the "e," means the Frog."

"I know what it means."

"Then why don't you call him that?"

"La Grenouille, is his codename."

"Well, I'm gonna call him the Frog," he replied, trying to get a rise out of her; push her into saying something, telling him something, excited utterance or not. "Reep."

She eyed him with a venomous glare, daring him to continue his tactics, "Spit it out Jethro, before it gags you."

"You were out of control today. Why?" he demanded. He wanted to think their argument from the previous night had something to do with it, but he knew it was far more than that. She had been exhibiting glimpses of the same behavior since he had returned. "

The deal died with Harrow."

"His copy of ARES may still be in play."

"You don't want ARES. You want him," he said, nodding toward the French arms dealer on the screen.

"Dam right I want him," she growled, shooting out of her chair, "I have been trying for a **decade **to bring him down!" She had been distracted from the mission, what with everything that had happened, and her family, . She would not make that mistake again.

"So it is personal," he mused from his place in the chair, "What did he do to you, Jenny?"

"You have no need to know Special Agent Gibbs," she said, her voice unnaturally calm. If he didn't trust her, how could she trust him with one of the biggest secrets of her life.

That night, after they had finished the operation, Ziva and Tony collapsed into bed, both of them exhausted. Sometime during the middle of the night, Ziva was woken by Tony's phone vibrating on the bedside table. She was about to ask him who it was, but stopped, seeing him, pulling on his clothes. She heard the front door close softly, and she rolled back over, wondering where he could be going. He nearly always woke her, or left a note, regardless of where he was going. That left only one explanation. He did not want her to know where he was going, or that he was gone at all for that matter.

Early the next morning, Ziva was woken as Tony turned on the shower. She slipped out of bed, approaching the unexpecting man in her bathroom. "Tony" she called softly and he jumped, chuckling nervously. That was the first thing she thought to be unusual. "Where did you go?" she asked, wondering if he would tell her the truth.

"I just went for a jog. Didn't want to wake you."

She nodded, returning to the bathroom. He was in the proper attire; jeans and a sweatshirt, but she knew that was not where he had been. It was the smell that set her senses off. It was certainly not hers, but she would know that smell anywhere.

Javier Christian Number 5.

**A/N: Oooh! Ziva's figuring it ouut…The La Grenouille mission is going to drive everybody crazy. And Jenny…well what can we say? She's goin' a little nuts, and those pregnancy hormones aren't helping. She's just overreacting over everything. Tsk tsk. Tehe :) So this one was kind of short. Sorry bout that. But it was more of a buffer chappie I guess, like a transition chapter. Any way I needed it there Lol. I hope you guys liked it anyway though, despite the length.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Tempe4Booth, NCIS87, BritMonkey, ladybugsmomma, pirate-princess1, JET1967, basket-case1880, Herky Illiniwek, Fiva4Tiva, thanks for reviewing this chappie and the last guys! *smileys* :)**

It had been two months since Jenny had kicked Gibbs out of her house, and essentially out of her life. He saw the twins often, but when he did, she was always conveniently absent. At work, they merely tolerated each other, speaking only when necessary; somewhat due to the fact that he insisted on flaunting his new relationship in her face.

It was apparent he was serious with Colonel Hollis Mann. The team had even dubbed her future ex wife number four. It was a change. She was a blonde. Not his usual type. That scared her. The fact that he had fallen so quickly for a woman who was not a red head terrified her. Maybe she really was it for him. If she was future ex wife, she had to be future wife first, which meant future stepmother.

And now, Jenny was alone, because she had left him, again. This time, she was five months pregnant to boot. She was thankful the morning sickness was gone, and some of the fatigue had diminished. Despite that though, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to hide the pregnancy. She was not, by any means, a large woman, and her belly was not but so large either, but it was certainly visible with even slightly clingy fabric. She was starting to get the feeling she would have to tell everyone about the pregnancy, and soon.

She stood from her chair, intent on heading for MTAC. SecNav was calling her, and the man had inconveniently decided to call their meeting in MTAC. She hated walking around so much. It only gave more opportunities for people to discover her secret. She stayed in her office as much as possible, and stayed sitting when anyone was in her office with her.

She gasped, feeling the increasingly present, stabbing pain on the lower left side of her belly. Her doctor had assured her it was only stretching pains, but regardless of what it was, it was not particularly enjoyable. They only happened ever so often, but when they did, they always caught her off guard, and were quite painful.

She took a deep breath, before proceeding toward her original destination, trying to ignore the pain in her abdomen.

She took the headpiece from one of the techs, and waited for SecNav to appear on the screen. "Sir," she greeted him, her words tight.

"Are you alright Jenny?" he asked, looking at the red head in concern.

She nodded, not trusting her voice as sharp pain stabbed into her stomach. "Fine Sir," she managed to get out, but had to take a seat. She crossed her legs, hoping to pass it off as professional familiarity. Her plan backfired as another stab of pain hit her at the sudden movement, and she instinctively grabbed her side.

"Is there something I should know Jenny?" SecNav asked, though it was to be taken as more of an order.

Then would be the perfect time to tell her boss, but being, well, her, she passed it up. "No Sir. What did you need to speak with me about?"

He eyed her skeptically for a moment before addressing their reason for being there. "I need you in Paris for the week. Overseas Interpol conference."

She nodded in compliance and understanding, though the thought of returning to Paris after so many years, especially in the predicament she was in, irked her.

Jenny walked out of MTAC ten minutes later, having received the details of the conference, as well as her flight and hotel information.

She headed down the stairs, stopping halfway, on the landing. "Gibbs," she called, down over the banister. He looked up at her expectantly, and she cocked her head, motioning for him to join her.

He stood from his chair, taking his coffee with him. He covered the distance between them in long strides, taking the stairs two at a time. "What's up?" he asked, once he reached her.

She spoke softly, so as not to be overheard by prying ears. "I have to go to a conference for the week, but I leave on tomorrow. I need you to act as Director while I'm gone."

"What about Vance?" he demanded. Being acting Director was not exactly his idea of fun.

"Family emergency," she sighed in exasperation, "You're the most Senior Agent, so that means you're next in line. "

"Fine," he conceded, and she nodded curtly.

"Good. I need you to watch the twins too."

"Yeah okay."

She thanked him, before turning, and heading for her office, while he headed back down the stairs. That was as far as their interactions went lately. As Jenny reached the catwalk, she heard the chiming of the elevator doors opening. She looked down, dismayed to see Colonel Mann stepping out of them. She slowed her pace, watching Gibbs step up beside the blonde, placing his hand at the small of her back, leading her back into the elevator. Only that time, he went with her.

Later that night, as Gibbs was preparing to leave, he thought to check on Jenny. She would be gone the next morning, and he would not see her for the next few days after that. He took the stairs to her office two at a time. Cynthia had gone home for the day, as everyone else had, and Gibbs expected to be able to just stride into her office; not that he didn't usually, but he was perplexed to find it locked. He had been in the bullpen most of the night. He didn't think she could have left without him seeing her.

Jenny stood in a fighting position in the gym, sweat dripping off of her body as she connected time and time again with the punching bag; first a well aimed double jab, then a vicious roundhouse kick, finishing with a backwards jab of her elbow. She emphasized each blow with a grunt, hoping to work off some of the frustration she had acquired throughout the day.

"Sure that's safe Jen?" a voice inquired from behind her, and she huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"It is…perfectly…fine Jethro," she ground out between kicks. She kicked the bag one last time before turning to him, her bump clearly visible through the fabric of her athletic shirt.

His eyes drifted to her belly, and he had the voracious need to reach out for her. He mentally slapped himself for that thought. That time was long past for that. He was with Hollis.

Jenny followed his eyes to her belly, and she spoke, unwrapping her hands. "I was athletic before, so the doctor said that it is perfectly fine. Kickboxing, running…" He nodded, and she tossed her hand wraps into her gym bag. "Why are you here Jethro?"

"Check on you. You had a rough day."

""I'm fine. It was no worse than any other day. Pompous politicians who think I don't belong where I am." he stayed put, and she sighed, tossing her shoes into her bag, "Go home to your girlfriend Jethro. We don't have anything to do with each other anymore. I though that was clear when I kicked you out. Please, just stop trying."

His eyes darkened, and he left the room without a word, the door slamming so hard behind him that she flinched involuntarily.

She shook her bag, in an attempt to make her shoes fit, but it was to no avail, and she tossed it to the ground in anger. She pursed her lips, trying to keep her tears at bay, but her face soon crumpled, and she sunk down onto the weight bench, sliding a hand over her eyes as she gasped between soft sobs.

The next morning, Jenny woke at 0400 to make her flight two hours later, long before the twins would wake up. Noemi had graciously agreed to come in an hour early, so that Jenny could leave on time.

Jenny started the shower before padding down the hallway, her bare feet slapping softly against the hardwood floor. She jogged down the stairs, striding into the kitchen, and started the her coffee, knowing that she would be needing her one cup that morning. She ran a hand through her hair, which had since reached her shoulders, and rolled her neck from side to side, feeling the effects of the previous night.

A little over an hour later, Jenny heard a key in the front door, and assumed Noemi had arrived. Her suspicions were proved correct when the door swung open, and the young Puerto Rican woman appeared in the doorway. "Hello Senora," she greeted her boss softly, hoping not to wake the children sleeping one floor above. Her eyes flitted to the steaming cup of coffee in the red head's hand, but she kept her mouth shut, thinking that it was none of her business.

Jenny caught the fleeting reaction, and smiled softly. "It's my first and only cup Noemi," she assured the younger woman.

Noemi shook her head. "It is none of my business."

Jenny could only smile, and climbed the stairs to her children's room. She ran placed a soft kiss to each child's forehead, and smiled, resting a hand on her daughter's face when the baby girl scrunched her nose. Her hand lingered for a moment before she exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Ten minutes later, she descended the stairs once more, her heels clicking with each step, suitcase in hand, dressed in a pair of grey, straight leg slacks, and a matching blazer over a loose, white cowl neck sweater, covered by a tan pea coat.

Noemi exited the kitchen as Jenny reached the foot of the stairs. "Oh Senora. Why did you not tell me you were taking your suitcase. I would have helped."

Jenny smiled softly. "It's nothing Noemi. I can manage." As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and Noemi reached forward to open it, revealing Jenny's driver.

"Good Morning Director," he greeted professionally.

"Good Morning Melvin."

He nodded, stepping forward to take her bag, and stopped in the doorway, holding it open for her. "Go ahead Melvin. I'll be along soon." He nodded once more, shutting the door behind him.

Jenny turned to Noemi promptly. "Gibbs should be here tonight to get the twins. He'll drop them off before work in the mornings, and pick them up at night."

"Si Senora," Noemi nodded, as Jenny opened the door. "Have a good trip Senora."

"Thank you Noemi."

Jenny woke with a start, and looked out the window of the plane. She realized the sun was setting, meaning she had been asleep for hours. Exactly how long, she had no idea. In perfect timing, a blonde flight attendant stopped beside her. "Can I get you anything Director Shepard."

"Uh…no. Thank you. But what time is it?"

"Almost twelve US time, six in Paris. We should be landing in Paris within the hour," the attendant replied with a smile.

Jenny thanked the young woman, and reconsidered her previous response, "On second thought, I'd like a glass of water."

"No problem."

Tens of thousands of miles away, back in the United States, Abby and McGee sat in his living room six hours later, playing Call of Duty:World of War, in Zombie mode. Abby had beat his high score three times already, even as they played side by side. She had already had to save him three times in their present game.

"No! No! NO!" she screamed, jamming the buttons on the controller, but it was to no avail, and she threw the green and white contraption onto the floor in anger.

"Ha!" McGee teased her, but his split second of mocking cost him his life, and the words Game Over flashed across the screen in blood red letters. He groaned, tossing his controller down as well.

Eight hours later, Ziva sat up in her living room in the dark, watching the clock on the end table change to 0200. Tony had never come home that night. It had become a pattern with him; either that or he snuck out of her bed in the middle of the night, and came back smelling like another woman, an expensive woman. She was done with his lies, and planned to get to the bottom of it that night.

Within five minutes, the door opened, and Tony tried to sneak into the hose undetected. He was not expecting to see Ziva, illuminated with the switch of the table lamp, one leg crossed over the other, a vicious glare on her face.

"Where have you been Tony?" she demanded, her voice soft, despite the venom dripping from her words. He opened his mouth to speak, she had no doubt, some half assed excuse, and she cut him off, closing her eyes, clenching her fist in an attempt to keep her voice down. "And do **not** tell me you were jogging, or that Gibbs called you in. Neither of those take three hours. I want the truth Tony. You have been sneaking out of my bed in the middle of the night, periodically for the last two months, and you come home to take a shower so that I do not smell her on you," she spat, and scoffed at his shocked look. "What?" she demanded, "Did you think I did not notice. Honestly Tony. You know my training. That is just not smart on your part."

"Look Ziva…" he started, only to have her cut him off again.

She shot out of her chair, advancing on him, their figures mere shadows in the dim lighting. "Do not Ziva me. Tony I want to hear it from you. I already know. How could I not? I mean really! You have a second cell phone."

"Ziva listen I'm undercover."

"For who?" she demanded, thinking it was complete BS.

"Jenny."

An expression of shock, passed over her face momentarily. Jenny was supposed to be her friend. Albeit she did not know about the relationship between Tony and herself, but she did know of her feelings for him.

He took her silence as disbelief, and continued. "I'm dating Grenouille's daughter to get more information."

"You are sleeping with her," she stated matter-of -factly, his silence further enforcing her statement. She scoffed, feeling herself on the verge of tears.

"Ziva. It doesn't mean anything. It's just to get information."

"It means something to **me **Tony! It is not just sex for information if you keep doing it! How am I supposed to have a relationship with you, try to have a child with you! When I know that when you are not in my bed, you are in hers," she demanded, "What am I going to tell our child when his father is not home for dinner? I'm sorry, you're father is at his girlfriend's house getting laid, and getting paid for it while I'm here with you!"

"Ziva it would never to get that," he growled, "It won't. It's an assignment for a set amount time."

"How much time Tony?"

"I don't know," he sighed.

"Exactly! Tony you do not know how long any of this will last. And I cannot wait for you while you figure it out. Tony while you figure out how much time this will take, **we **need to take some time."

"What? Are you saying you want to break up with me?"

"Yes."

**A/n: OMG! Lol Review please :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/n: OMG! You guuys! You're the total wesomeness! Thanks for reviewing :) tataalicat, pirate-princess1, bluemoon909, basket-case1880, Tempe4Booth , Fiva4Tiva, lachildress, ladybugsmomma, Herky Illiniwek, DS2010, JET1967, and Paris-eternellement *Hearts* **

A week later, Jenny strode through the automatic doors of the airport, smiling at seeing her asisstant waiting for her.

"Welcome back Director," Cynthia greeted her boss, "How was the Interpol conference?"

"Fine. Lots of Euro Cops trying to make a pass at me," she joked, despite the statement being quite true, handing her suitcase over to her driver. At seeing the expression on her asisstants face, sliding into the car, she answered the question she knew the young woman wanted to ask, "And no. I didn't."

Cynthia looked somewhat horrified at the fact her boss thought she would ask that, and she protested mildly, "I didn't-"

Jenny cut her off, smirking, "I would if I were you. Get in."

Cynthia smiled, rounding the other side of the town car. She pulled the door open, sliding in next to her boss.

"Is the Angency still intact?" Jenny teased, and Cynthia grinned.

"We survived."

"Did Gibbs?"

"Barely."

Jenny laughed as they pulled off out of the drop off lane, thinking of the turmoil he had probably caused in her absence.

Forty minutes later, they pulled up to Jenny's house, and the red head stepped out of the car with her driver. Melvin got her suitcase while she peeked her head back in the car, "Oh and Cynthia,"

"Yes Director?"

"I almost forgot," she said, reaching into her carry-on, pulling out a meticulously embroidered scarf, handing it to the young woman, who looked at her in surprise. "I did say you had earned it," Jenny reminded her, smiling, knowing Cynthia had probably not expected to actually receive the gift.

"Thank you Director," Cynthia thanked her red headed boss in shock. She most certainly had not been expecting to actually receive the scarf, and such a nice one. It looked to be hand stitched. Jenny nodded, shutting the door behind her.

She headed up the driveway before Melvin, who had been waiting for her. She pulled out her key, ready to open the door, only to have Noemi open the door, obviously hving been awaiting Jenny's arrival. "Welcome back Senora."

Jenny smiled, walking inside. "Thank you Noemi. It's good to be back."

"Are you hungry Senora?"

Jenny riffled through her mail on the foyer table, finding nothing of great importance. She contemplated the offer before replying, "Um…no. I ate on the plane."

"Are you sure Senora? I made your favorite paella."

Jenny smiled, instantly changing her mind. She was eating for two after all. "Very well."

Noemi nodded, returning to the kitchen.

"What time tomorrow Director?" Melvin asked from his place in the doorway.

"0530 Melvin," Jenny said, looking up from the mail in her hands, "I want to get an early start."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh and Melvin,"

"Yes Director?"

"Take Cynthia home. She'll argue, but there's really no need for her to go back to the office now."

"Yes Director," he agreed, shutting the door behind him.

"Noemi," Jenny called, opening a bill that caught her eye, "I'll eat in the study."

"Si Senora."

Jenny looked up, and stopped, catching sight of the scotch on her desk. She swallowed thickly. It was just the way her father used to leave his. She shook herself. Her father was dead. But who had been in her study? "Noemi!" she called, sounding harsher than intended.

The young housekeeper appeared within seconds, looking altogether frightened of what she had done. "Si Senora."

"Noemi who has been in my study?" she demanded, never taking her eyes off the bottle on her desk.

"Nobody Senora," Noemi said, confused.

"Obviously somebody," Jenny adamanted, pointing to the alcohol on her desk. Someone had been in her house, and she had the feeling she knew who. Fear overwhelmed her as she thought of the possibility that her children had been in the house when he had.

"You no do that?" Noemi asked, her English growing increasingly choppy in her anxiety.

"I no do that," Jenny whispered, "I've been gone five days. Didn't you clean in here?"

"Si Senora. I no see. I am sorry Senora."

Jenny calmed herself, realizing she had probably scared the youn woman. "It's nothing Noemi. Don't worry about it. Where are the twins?"

"Upstairs Senora, in the nursery."

Jenny nodded, walking past the Latina. She climbed the stairs to the nursery, running a harried hand through her hair. Noemi watched her go, concerned for the red head. She had not been herself for quite some time.

Jenny pushed the door to the nursery open, sighing in relief at seeing both of her children safe. They squealed in joy at seeing her, and she smiled at both of them. "Hi," she cooed, "Mommy missed you very much."

"Ma-ma!" Leilah shrieked, reaching for her mother, while Jacob simply giggled.

Jenny groaned, lifting them both from their cribs. At nine months, they were growing at such an exponential rate Jenny could hardly believe it. She played with the twins for a while before heading back downstairs, a child on either hip.

Only minutes after returning to her study, Noemi entered, bringing with her, a generous bowl of Paella for Jenny, and two cups of applesauce for the twins. Jenny looked up from coloring with Leilah and Jacob, despite the fact that their "coloring" was merely a rainbow of scribbles. "Thank you Noemi," she said, gratefully, clearing the desk so that the younger woman could place the food there.

"You are welcome Senora," Noemi replied, smiling softly.

"And Noemi, I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. It isn't your fault."

Noemi met her eyes, and nodded, before moving to exit the room with a, "Enjoy your dinner Senora."

Later that night, as Noemi prepared to leave, the twins had been put to bed, and Jenny sat in her study with the door closed, her attention focused intently on the bottle in the middle of her desk. She tried to convince herself that her father was dead, but the opposite thoughts continued to plague her mind. She shot from her chair, heading toward her liquor cabinet. She grabbed a bottle of Booker's Bourbon Whiskey, tossing back a tumbler of the strong alcohol, and winced as the liquid burned down her throat. She tried to ignore the burning sensation in the back of her mind, reminding her of the child growing inside her, and she tossed back another, and another, until she no longer cared.

No more than a few minutes later, she heard the doorbell ring, but stayed in her seat, leaving it to Noemi.

She soon heard Gibbs' voice, asking of her whereabouts, and she took a deep breath, taking another sip of the alcohol. "I'm in here," she called, standing from her seat.

She set her glass down on the table, not wanting to hear it when he walked in. she reached the liquor cabinet as he walked in. She poured a second glass of bourbon, knowing he would most likely want one. Without turning to him she said, "You know in polite society, one usually calls before a visit." she held out the tumbler for him to take. "Bourbon?"

"I've kicked in too many doors to be polite ya know?"

"Mmm," she mused, "I appreciate the restraint you showed by using the doorbell. I've been rather fond of that door since I was a child." He made no comment, and she continued, somewhat aggravated that he was there, "You could have waited to report until Monday Jethro."

"That's not why I'm here. You lost your protection detail in Paris for twenty-one hours. Where were you?"

She eyed him in aggravation, "You sound like a jealous husband."

"How would you know," he countered coldly.

She pursed her lips slightly, his comment having stung. "Do you want this or not?" she demanded, referring to the bourbon in her hand. He was silent, simply moving to grab the bottle of alcohol on her desk, only to stop at her voice. "Don't, touch that!" she growled, but then tried to cover up her outburst, by speaking calmly once more. "It's scotch. You drink bourbon."

"So do you," he reminded her reproachfully.

She advanced on him, so that their noses were almost touching. "I had another visitor before you arrived. Unannounced," she baited him.

"He duck out the back?"

She smirked, "Now you really do sound like a jealous husband."

He took the bourbon from her before speaking. "You go off grid for twenty-one hours. Now we're being polygraphed for security breach."

She leveled her eyes with his before she spoke. "Drink your bourbon and say goodnight Gracie," she said in mimicking something he used to say to her, referring to the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

"You been drinkin' Jen?" he inquired, reproachfully, his gaze drifting to the half full tumbler on her desk. His jaw twitched; he had been angry and concerned with her behavior as of late, but now she was no longer endangering just herself.

"It's none of your business Jethro," she spat, "and neither are my whereabouts in Paris."

"You're carrying my kid jenny. It _is_ my business. You're outta control Jen. Look at you. You're drinking while your pregnant. This stuff is over 50% alcohol. What the hell are you thinking?"

"I think, you need to stay out of my business. It doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't. I'm not leaving Leilah and Jacob with you."

"You are _**not **_taking my kids from me," she growled, her eyes flashing.

"Either I take them now and you get yourself straightened out, or we go to court, and I take them whether you get straight or not." She stayed silent, settling simply for glaring murderously at him.

"What were you doin' for twenty-one hours Jenny?"

"What we used to do ever so well."

He took a sip off his bourbon, wincing slightly at the burn, and pointed to her right eye. "When you lie, your right eye twitches. Always has," he said, and walked out, leaving her standing there to simmer in her own fury.

She eyed her tumbler on the desk, and downed the rest of the glass with a wince, and turned to stare out the window to her study. Within minutes, she heard her front door slam behind her, but she made no sudden movements, simply continued to stare out the window; what had gone undetected, even by herself, until then were the unshed tears in her eyes, glistening in the light of the full moon.

Everyone had long since left the bar, aside from Ziva and Ducky, who had stayed behind, enjoying good conversation.

Ziva had been trying to contact Tony relentlessly for the past half hour, to no avail. She was worried about him. She had been since she had first noticed his odd behavior so many months ago. Despite the fact that they were no longer together, she was worried. She did not want anything to happen to him. "Straight to voicemail," she muttered dejectedly, "just like always when he is with her."

"Tony?" Ducky inquired knowingly.

"What?" she demanded distractedly. She had not noticed he had realized who she was contacting, or trying to contact.

"Nothing," he conceded, not really having meant to speak his thoughts aloud.

She eyed him skeptically, before contradicting him, pushing him to continue his line of thought. "Oh no. No that was definitely something."

"Why do you monitor Tony?" he blurted.

She scoffed, though she knew he was absolutely correct, and it showed. "I do not monitor Tony."

"Oh yes you do my dear," he protested, "like a mother with a toddler."

She laughed softly, "It's a good description."

He eyed her pointedly for a moment, contemplating his next choice of words before speaking, his voice low, "Or a woman with a wayward lover." He wondered...

She sent him a look. "Do not profile me Ducky. I am not a killer," she said, but then corrected herself, "Correction. I have killed before. But never feloniously."

He leaned in somewhat, trying to get his point across, "Ziva, it is Friday night. Tony is with his girlfriend, and you're worrying about him. What does that tell you?"

She was silent. Ducky did not know just how hard the word "girlfriend," had hit her. She looked up, her expression no longer guarded, and when she spoke her voice no longer held its previous uncaring, sarcastic tone. Instead, it revealed the immense worry and fear she felt for the man who was her partner. Who had very recently held that title in more ways than one. "He is my partner," she said adamantly, "and my partner said he would be here tonight, and he isn't." She took an almost indiscernible breath before continuing, her voice betraying the shakiness she felt, "And I have this not so good feeling."

The next day, Jenny sat in her office, staring into space,thoughts of the previous night,previous months, running through her mind a mile a minute. She jumped in surprise when the doors to her office opened, revealing Ziva in the doorway.

The Israeli entered, shutting the doors behind her, just as quietly as she had opened them. She took a deep breath before turning to face the woman who she had long since considered her friend. But as the woman eyed her expectantly, she could not hide the hatred in her eyes. "We need to talk," she said, her voice harsher than she had initially intended.

Jenny motioned for her to sit, but she chose to stand, wordlessly indicating that she was not there for a mere social call. Jenny sat up straighter in her chair, realizing the fact.

"You are running undercover operations with Tony," Ziva said matter-of-factly, silently informing the other woman that it was of no use to deny it.

Jenny nodded, as if to say, 'so what?' not knowing just how much the younger woman knew of the mission.

"He is dating Jeanne Benoit," Ziva stressed, her voice raising in volume with her anger. Jenny's silent shock confirmed her words, and she scoffed. Somehow, deep down, she had not wanted to believe it was true. That someone she considered a friend would hurt her so; certainly not when she chose to consider so few people friends. "Do not looked so shocked Director," she spat, "Did you really think that I would not find out? Were you ever planning to tell us?"

"It is a need-to-know operation Ziva," Jenny stated calmly, almost coldly.

"And you did not think that his team should know," she demanded incredulously.

"It neither concerns nor involves any of you."

"When you are putting him in the line of danger, it does involve us."

"Tony knew the risks," Jenny insisted, but it was her cold, uncaring tone that set Ziva off.

"You are supposed to be my friend!" she spat, leaning across the desk dauntingly, "You are _our_ Director! You are supposed to care at least _somewhat_ about the welfare of your agents, but you are sending one of your best into the line of danger for no real reason! You are sending the father of my _child_ into some other woman's bed for a bit of misplaced revenge Jenny!"

"What?" Jenny breathed.

Ziva had not meant to reveal that detail, but she was to furious to care anymore. "I am pregnant," she growled, and turned on her heel, striding across the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Jenny flinched involuntarily. _Pregnant?_ she had not known they were dating, let alone so serious. She then scolded herself internally. She knew. She had seen the signs. She had just been so blinded by hate and fury that she had not bothered to care. She knew she should not have let Tony get so involved in that op. She had taken his word for it when he told her that he was not. She _knew_ that he was. She should have pulled him out then. Tony was falling in love with that girl. But where did that leave Ziva?

Fifteen minutes after Ziva had stormed from Jenny's office, they all stood in MTAC trying to locate Tony after Jenny had received a 911 from him.

"West on Elm street," McGee said from his place beside Ziva, giving everyone, but more specifically Jenny, Tony's location.

"No one's in the car with him," she announced, not really knowing what that meant at the moment. She dialed the familiar number, only to yank the phone away from her face in frustration at receiving no ring tone. "Phone's still off," she muttered.

"He's turning north onto 29th Street," McGee updated, closely followed by Ziva.

"Traffic speed. No signs of duress. No one seems to be tailing him."

"Maybe he's the one doing the tailing," Gibbs said, moving forward from his previous place in his seat.

They watched the screen for any sudden signs of duress or anxiety from him, finding none. Both women in the room gasped as the car combusted abruptly, sending small pieces of metal and debris everywhere.

"Oh my God," Jenny breathed as the car was engulfed in fiery, orange flames. There was no way he could have possibly survived that. No one could. She turned to McGee, who had an identical expression of shock on his face.

"Tony!" Ziva gasped, shooting from her seat, bringing a hand to her stomach.

**A/n: Oh snapsickles! Lolz Review please! :D**

**BTW: For those who've seen this episode(a.k.a almost all of us :D) don't feel so prepared for what comes next...**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/n: **

**WARNING: **_**M**_** RATED, FOR A SNIPPET OF SEXUAL CONTENT TOWARDS THE END OF THIS CHAPTER.**

Jenny paced the hall of Bethesda, outside her agent's room, one hand at her back, the other running hurriedly through her mussed locks. Gibbs and the rest of his team remained in their seats, simply following her frantic movements with their eyes.

"Sit down Jenny," Gibbs muttered from his place between Tim and Ziva.

She stopped pacing to turn and look at him. "I can't," she mumbled, going back to pacing. Tony could be dead, and it was her fault. They had arrived on the scene, to be immediately overwhelmed by the panic, and flashing lights, and wailing sirens. They had seen the charred remains in Tony's car, and it was painfully obvious that the fun loving Italian was gone. She had felt the stares of hatred burning into her back, Ziva's being the strongest. She had stood, the smell and sight churning her stomach, intending to survey the damage of the other car, only to stop as her world seemed to move in slow motion. She swore Tony passed her on a stretcher, despite the fact that his face was nearly unrecognizable through the gashes and abrasions covering him.

She had spun in bewilderment, to look at the others, seeing mirrored expressions on their faces. Jeanne Benoit soon passed by as well, much in the same predicament as Tony. She searched frantically for any signs of Renee Benoit, but he was nowhere to be found; alive or otherwise. She sincerely hoped the man had perished in the crash.

The doctor had tentatively informed them of Tony's chances. They were not good; 30%.

He had been, not in his car, but in a car with La Grenouille and Jeanne Benoit. The former was still nowhere to be found, whereas the latter had been rushed into surgery in critical condition, along with Tony.

They now stood, well she stood, in the hallway outside his room awaiting any information; good or bad, preferably good.

As the earlier images flashed through her mind as if on replay, Jenny felt bile rising in her throat and set off in a quick stride toward the bathroom. She busted through the door of the first vacant stall she saw, and kneeled to the floor, emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She coughed, and felt someone hold her back from behind her. It was only when she stopped retching that she realized just who it was; the tell-tale scent of bourbon and sawdust was a dead giveaway.

She stood to her feet and pushed past him. "This is the women's bathroom you know Jethro," she said, clearing her throat to get rid of its scratchy quality.

He simply stared, and she scoffed moving past him, only to have him grab her by the arm, and drag her back to him. She eyed him, her eyes flashing at his tenacity.

"You need to cal down Jenny," he warned, his voice low.

"Calm down?" she demanded, "How do you expect me to calm down when Dinozzo is in the hospital, in critical condition, and the man who put him there is nowhere to be found?"

"You put Dinozzo in here Jenny," he growled, and she yanked her arm from his grasp, storming out of the ladies' room.

Tony had not been released from surgery until three hours later, that being the reason that Jenny was only just walking through the door to her house at 2200. She had left the hospital as soon as they received the news that Tony was alright, even if only for that time, and returned to the office. The doctor had told them that the next seventy-two hours were still critical for him, but Jenny knew that she did not belong there in his room. Gibbs was right. She had put him there. He would not want to see her face there when he woke up, and as well he shouldn't.

She groaned in frustration when her phone rang in her purse, and she had to rummage reach through the deep abyss that was her purse to find it. Becoming a mother had changed her, one noticeable difference being that she no longer carried a small purse for everyday use, or God forbid, nothing at all. "Hello?" she answered, kicking the front door shut behind her.

There was a slight pause at the other end of the line before the heavily accented French voice made her stop in her tracks. "Good evening Madame Director."

"Good evening," she greeted more formally, and somewhat suspiciously, dropping her keys on the foyer table. He did not sound in pain or distress. Had he escaped the blast unscathed? "I've been told you want to meet me."

"Long overdue. I'm sure."

She assumed a murderous gaze, despite the fact that he could not see her, or so she thought. "Just tell me where, and when," she growled. She gasped in surprise, slowly bringing her phone from her ear as the man in question appeared in the doorway to her study.

"Now. In your study."

"Hello Jenny," he addressed her. She should have been frightened, terrified even, but there was something in his expression that told her there was no need to be.

She set her jaw, crossing the room to breeze past him. Moving behind her desk, she motioned for him to sit, an offer he declined.

"So here we are at last," he murmured, meeting her gaze, "face to face."

"Not exactly the way I expected to meet."

He took the earlier offered seat, and she soon followed. "I have to compliment you on your pursuit," he praised, "I actually liked your Agent, Dinozzo?"

"So does your daughter," she bit back smartly.

"Very much, yes," he agreed, nodding.

"What do you want from us?" she demanded, just being in his presence starting to make her skin itch.

"In exchange for my extensive knowledge of the arms dealings, I want protection," he said, "for my daughter."

"Protection? From who?" Why would Jeanne Benoit need protection?

Before the man across from her could respond, she had to bite back a gasp of surprise as Gibbs appeared in the doorway, answering the question for the man. "From whoever tried to kill his daughter this morning."

She eyed Grenouille warily as he stood, for any signs of sudden movement. She was not so sure what protection he had brought with him, or how far he would go to get what he wanted. He addressed Gibbs, clearly aggravated with the interruption. "Agent Gibbs I believe?" Gibbs merely glared, and Grenouille turned back to Jenny, "But yes it is true. My enemies have come after my daughter. They want to see me suffer. But she is safe, for the time being."

"I wouldn't exactly call bed ridden in a hospital, lying in a coma, safe," Jenny contradicted him with venom-laden words.

"Which enemies?" Gibbs demanded from his place in the doorway, cutting her off from further prodding.

" I have very many," Grenouille replied without turning to face the younger man.

"Why now?" Jenny asked, finding it just too much of a coincidence that his enemies had decided to attack his daughter on the same day she was in a car with her father, and an NCIS agent, and Gibbs had certainly taught her about coincidences.

"This have something to do with operation Lodestone?" Gibbs asked, once more cutting her off, and she eyed him pointedly, getting aggravated with his tactics.

La Grenouille was obviously shocked at Gibbs' extensive knowledge, and voiced his opinion, "He is well informed."

"Read us in."

"On what? The arrogance of the CIA to make me the biggest arms dealer in the world?"

Gibbs pieced the puzzle together, and spoke. "You control the illegal arms trade. The CIA controls you."

La Grenouille clearly disliked hearing that he was controlled by anyone, and he spun to face Gibbs finally. "That was the idea," he spat, coming to stand in front of Gibbs, "But you came along, and someone found out. Another arms dealer perhaps. Hmm?" He paused, distaste dripping from his next choice of words. "And I am running out of time. I can no longer trust Kort."

Gibbs chuckled wryly. "Did you ever?"

Grenouille smiled tightly, and Jenny stood from her chair, a snarl on her face. "This isn't the first time you were in this study."

"No," he agreed, turning back to her, "I met your father here. On occasion." He stopped surveying the room, clearly noticing the small changes she had made. Her heart hammered in her chest as his eyes landed on a picture of the twins, and she spoke again, intending to draw his attention back to her. "Tell me about him," she whispered, her voice holding an unusual desperation.

"He was a fine man," Grenouille clipped shortly, "He had a conscience. One that…got the better of him."

She narrowed her eyes at the reference to her father's death, and her expression held an almost deranged amusement. "You believe the story that my father took a bribe while overseeing an arms reduction treaty?"

"I'm sorry. That is not a story. That's fact," he replied plainly.

"How do you know?" she demanded, wondering if he could really say something prove to her, her father's guilt.

"Because I paid him, that bribe," he replied matter-of-factly, and Jenny's expression made it clear that she was losing control.

She grabbed her gun from her drawer, and pointed it at the French man in her study. "No," she contradicted him. She knew the truth. "You killed him," she insisted, "because he wouldn't take it."

Grenouille shrugged slightly, his voice more or less uncaring. "I can understand how hard it can be to accept." As she rounded the corner of the desk, he continued, "My daughter. She is facing the same struggle."

She advance on him with the gun, only to have Gibbs cut in. "It's not loaded," he said, "I guess he beat you to it."

She looked at him incredulously, and looked back to the gun, unloading the cartridge, to find it empty. Grenouille spoke softly, his voice bordering on pompous. "I didn't want you to do anything rash before I had the chance to…explain myself." He took a breath, before meeting her eyes once more. "I need your protection."

"You have the bullets," she spat, "take the damn gun!" she growled, shoving it into his hands, "Protect yourself!"

Grenouille looked to the unloaded gun in his hands, and said, "You are signing my death warrant."

"Twelve years overdue," Jenny stressed vehemently, back behind her desk once more.

He made a scoffing sound and smiled tightly, placing a piece of paper on her desk. "My card. In case you change your mind."

"You better leave before I do," Jenny hissed, any semblance of control gone.

Grenouille nodded contritely, turning to leave. At the door, he turned back briefly. "I hope my daughter is as loyal to her father, as you are to yours."

Jenny remained silent, and the man pushed past Gibbs, bumping his shoulder roughly. Grenouille stopped once more before making his final exit. "I suppose congratulations are in order," he said nodding to her belly, which had become visible where her blazer had fallen open, "I'm sure your father would have liked to meet the child." Hearing the door close behind him, Jenny reached for the bourbon in her liquor cabinet.

"You just let you personal obsession get in the way of your professional obligations, Gibbs accused her.

"That's a lot of crap and you know it Jethro," she spat, grabbing the tumbler of alcohol from the glass counter top, "There are no deals for men like him. You want to chase after him right now and arrest him with out a warrant, you go _right _ahead! We both know the court will have him out before breakfast."

"Then get a damn warrant!"

"You get a warrant," she shot back childishly. "But you better do it fast before his friends get a hold of him first."

He scoffed, and turned to leave as she took a long gulp of the amber liquid in her hands. He turned back abruptly, and demanded of her, "If I weren't here, and that gun was loaded, would you have pulled the trigger?"

She held the glass down by her stomach again, and turned to him, smirking. "I guess we'll never know will we?"

He scoffed disbelievingly, taking the loaded bullet cartridge from his pocket, and placed it on her desk, before turning to stride out of the room. She eyed the cartridge disdainfully before lifting the glass to her lips once more, only to jump as her front door busted open again.

Her head shot up as Gibbs came storming back into the room.

"Just thought you might like to know the Jacob walked today," he spat, and she barely concealed a gasp as she tightened her grip on her glass. "He walked to Hollis," he continued, and she met his spiteful gaze, her eyes full of hurt.

"Why would you tell me that?" she demanded, "Why do you _insist_ on trying to hurt me?"

"Because you need to know what you're doing Jenny," he growled, advancing on her, "You almost _killed_ Dinozzo today. He's still not in the clear. You know Abby wanted to throw you a baby shower, but she was afraid of how you'd react. Can't say I blame her the way you screamed at her; the way you've been snapping at everybody. You put _Leilah and Jacob_ in danger."

She cut him off fiercely, contradicting him, "No! I _never _put them in danger!"

"You wanna bet Jen? What if they had been here when he came in," he demanded, referring to her previous visitor. She stopped, falling silent; he saw her resolve weakening, and softened his voice. "Your dad's dead Jenny. What happened, happened twelve years ago. Most everyone aside from you, has forgotten about it. Now you're just dragging out old skeletons. You keep this up, and people will never forget that story. You're driving away everyone who cares about you now, for the past."

"He was my father," she whispered, her voice catching slightly in her throat.

"Jenny," Gibbs growled in warning, trying to get through to her, "let it go."

"I ca-"

He cut her off, crashing his lips down over hers. She was caught by surprise at first, but soon relaxed into him, moaning into the kiss as her glass slipped from her slacking grip.

They stumbled the few feet to her chair, and Gibbs fell into it, pulling her down onto his lap. He hiked her skirt up over her hips, trailing his fingers along the inside of her thighs, and she whimpered. "God Jethro! That's not fair, and you know it," she hissed, trying to hold back any more sounds. What with her pregnancy, and the fact that she had not been with anyone in over two months, her sensitivity was heightened to near impossible levels; she had the feeling Gibbs knew that, and was using it to his advantage. She forced her hips not to buck as he toyed with the hem of her underwear, before slipping a hand inside the lacy material. She moaned aloud, unable to keep her control any more, and he laughed. She gasped as he ripped the material from her hips, and thrust up into her, filling her completely.

"Jethro, you bastard," she gasped as her muscles tightened around him, and she dug her nails into his shoulders, sure there would be marks left behind.

He chuckled pompously, and gave her a short time to come down from her high before starting again.

She took a sharp intake of breath, and cried out as her high caught her by surprise, and she fisted her hands in his hair, hooking her legs tighter around the back of the chair, burying her face in his neck, as she fell over the edge in a series of gasps and moans, him right behind her.

She fell against him panting, her face and exposed skin flushed pink. "Oh my God," she breathed, and Gibbs, not understanding the meaning of her words laughed.

"Oh my God," she murmured again, sliding off his lap with an involuntary wince. He eyed her in confusion, and she shook her head, trying to make herself look at least somewhat decent. "This didn't happen Jethro," she whispered, the full weight of what they had just done, finally hitting her.

"What?" he demanded, anger starting bubble to the surface.

"You have a girlfriend Jethro. You just _cheated _on her. With _me_! I helped you cheat on her," she whispered, nearing hysteria.

"Jen," he tried, only to have her cut him off.

"No Jethro! This is not me. I am _not_ a home wrecker! I do not sleep with taken men. No. You go home to Hollis. Do not tell her. We forget this ever happened," she stressed, and said, "But Jethro. Bring my kids back."

He stood, sliding into his clothes, and shook his head. "We're not going to forget Jenny."

"_Yes Jethro_. We are," she replied adamantly, her expression saying that she did not want to either, but had every intention of trying.

She heard the door slam for the second time that night, and grabbed the fallen tumbler from the floor. She sighed, eyeing the bourbon on her desk, considering it for a split second. But she lurched forward in surprise as she felt her growing child kick for the first time, as if to further remind her of their presence. She pushed the bottle of bourbon off into the wastebasket beside her desk, and rested a hand to her belly. "Mommy's sorry," she whispered, wondering if the baby could hear her. She smiled as another kick served as her confirmation.

**A/n: Thanks for all the reviews guys! :) Hope you liked the chappie! Review please! :D**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/n: Oh my gosh! You guys I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while. We're doing track conditioning and then my teachers wanted to throw every quiz and test imaginable at me. And…on top of that, it's homecoming week I really haven't had any time to write.**

**But anyway, I hope you still like this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews you guys :) *****Happy Me* :D Shout outs at the end of the chapter.**

**Kay guys, so just FYI, I'm going to screw with the timeline a little. Episodes 5x01, and 5x03 are extended season 4. And 5x02 kind of got cut out. There's three months between 5x03 and 5x04. Just so nobody gets confused or anything! Kay thanks guys! I'll stop rambling so you can read. Hope you like it! :)**

Ziva sat by Tony's side, an expression of despair on her face. She had left him. Kicked him out. And now, he was lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. There was a definite chance that he would never meet his child. That he or she would grow up without a father, and that is what she had never wanted for her children. She ran a hand over his hair, and took his hand, holding it to her lips. There was no one around to see. She could afford to show her emotions.

It had been three days since the night with Gibbs, and three days since Jenny had seen him or talked to him. They were back to avoiding each other; or rather, she was avoiding him. She was trying to at least. He seemed to be trying to do the opposite, and was making it increasingly difficult to not see him when he seemed to appear wherever she was.

After the outbursts she had received from Ziva and Gibbs, she was starting to realize just how much damage she had done. Leilah and Jacob were still not back with her, Tony was still in the hospital, having only just regained consciousness, and she would be surprised if she didn't lose her job too once SecNav got wind of everything. She had ruined everything in both her personal and professional life. Everything she had worked for, what she had given up everything for, and everything she never expected, nor wanted until she had it, was put in jeopardy over, as Gibbs had said, the past.

She could not remember the last time she had spoken to her family. She had made a promise to both of her nieces, and they had trusted her. She was sure Jackson was only further convinced that she would always leave, what with recent events. She had not even tried to stay in contact. She had shipped them back to California and essentially cut them from her life once again.

She was yanked sharply from her thoughts as the shrill ringing of her home phone made her jump from her spot on the couch. She pushed herself from her seat, and walked into the foyer, but groaned in frustration at seeing that it was missing from its console. She searched around for the source of the ringing, tossing cushions from her couch and armchairs. She kneeled to her knees, searching the floor in vain, but stopped, her head popping up, as her voicemail picked up, and her sister's voice drifted from the console.

"_Hey Jenny. It's me...um...Heather. I know we haven't really been in touch too much, but call me back okay? The girls miss you by the way. Jackson and Austin too. We all do. Just…call me back huh? I need to talk to you."_

Jenny rolled her eyes when her hand connected with the phone under the couch just as a click signaled her sister hanging up. She snatched it up, getting to her feet with a huff, and dialed the familiar number. "Shit!" she hissed as she nearly tripped over one of the twins' block puzzles.

"Jenny?" her sister's concerned drifted through the phone, and Jenny blew her bangs out of her face with a huff.

"Yeah. Hey Heather," she sighed, bending over to move the object from its hazardous location, using the arm of the couch to support herself. She tossed it onto the chair, placing a hand to her lower back, which was starting to ache.

Jenny descended the winding staircase to the bullpen, her fingers dancing along the banister. She cast a quick glance upward to the gaping hole in the skylight, currently being attended to by several workers. The banging and hammering they had been doing all day was giving her a headache. She would be glad when they were finished; she no longer had any idea why she thought the new panels were a good idea.

"Gibbs!" she called across the bullpen, her expression full of annoyance. She had called him to her office nearly half an hour ago.

He barked instructions to Tim and Ziva, and turned to her expectantly as she strode across the room, purpose in her step.

"Look out!" came the panicked, and slightly muffled call from above, and life seemed to move in slow motion as all eyes shot upward to see a heavy glass, steel framed panel plummeting to the ground at top speed in direct line with Jenny's head.

She gasped as a hard body slammed into her and she was knocked off her feet. She instinctively shielded her face as the glass panel collided with the floor, sending shards everywhere.

She looked up into Gibbs' concerned eyes as she tried to catch her breath. He had knocked the wind out of her with that tackle and it hurt like hell, but he'd probably saved her life.

Agents and visitors alike swarmed to the scene, most having witnessed the entire thing. Gibbs moved off her, holding out a hand for her to take, which she did, gratefully. With his help, she pushed herself to her feet with a groan. She brushed off any inquiries as to her well being with a reassuring smile and a wave despite her heart hammering against her ribs. Gibbs gently tugged her away by her arm as she stepped carefully over the jagged shards of glass and the elevator doors opened with a ding and a frazzled looking man in worker's garb ran through the doors.

"Is everybody alright?" he asked breathlessly, obviously having run from wherever he was.

"What the hell was that!" Gibbs demanded, "You could've killed somebody!"

"Jethro," Jenny soothed softly, resting a reassuring hand to his shoulder, and brushed past him so she was face to face with the fumbling man.

"I'm sorry ma'am- I- are you sure you're alright? I didn't- I was- I'm so sorry."

"It's nothing to worry about," Jenny assured the man, brushing off his apologies with a wave of the hand.

As the worker went to cleaning up the mess, the rest of the room fell into jumbled chatter, and Gibbs all but dragged her to him.

"You alright?" he asked, and she snapped her head to him in annoyance, but her expression softened immediately at the intense concern burning in his eyes.

"I'm fine Jethro," she assured him with a small smile.

"Jenny did I hurt you?" he demanded, referring to his less than gentle tackle.

"No," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest, "It could have been worse but it wasn't." He eyed her pointedly, and she added softly, and a bit reluctantly, "Thanks to you."

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear hurriedly, turning to face the effects of the previous incident, her movements rigid and fidgety. "I'm fine Jethro."

Jenny cast a glance toward the clock as she packed up her things to go home, sighing at the time, 2200. She had been there far too long, but her job had to be done, and unfortunately for her, that included mountains of paperwork, full of nearly ineligible handwriting. She had finally just given up, choosing to take her work home with her.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and gasped in shock, a stack of folders slipping from her grasp, to see Gibbs standing in the doorway. "Jesus Jethro!" she breathed, holding a hand to her chest. "You're going to give me a heart attack," she snapped in irritation, bending down to retrieve the fallen papers.

Gibbs was at her side in an instant, helping her with the scattered pages.

"You go to the doctor?" he asked as they moved to their feet, Jenny slinging her bag back over her shoulder, taking the stack of folders Gibbs handed to her.

"I'm fine Jethro," she sighed.

"Is that a doctor's opinion or yours?" he demanded.

"Both!" she sighed in exasperation, "I went during lunch," and he nodded in satisfaction. "The baby's fine," she added, knowing that was probably the majority, if not the entirety of his reasons for nagging her.

"So are you," he replied, and she could see the genuine relief lingering in his otherwise hard eyes. She nodded, and walked past him, intending for him to follow.

As they approached the doors to the parking lot, Jenny stayed, able to hear her driver rounding the corner, while Gibbs continued in the direction of his car.

"Jethro?" she called as he opened his car door, and he turned to her expectantly. She bit her lip, debating with herself on whether or not to give it to him, and chickened out at the last moment; she simply said, "I don't think I ever thanked you. So. Thank you."

He nodded, his suspicious gaze lingering only a few seconds more before sliding into his seat. She closed her eyes, and mentally head slapped herself, before her eyes reopened, dropping to the black and white photograph in her hand; she sighed as her driver pulled up, quickly moving to hold her door open for her.

Abby groaned as she stumbled through the door of the apartment, piled high with boxes dropping a heavy one marked 'dishes' onto the carpeted floor. McGee came in behind her huffing, and dropped her, not surprisingly, extremely heavy coffin, on the floor as well.

"McGee be careful!" she demanded, eyeing him pointedly.

That thing is like three tons," he huffed, his hair sticking to his face, drenched in sweat.

"Don't be ridiculous Timmy. If it weighed that much you couldn't lift it. No one could."

"Well at least that was it," he breathed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Yeah. Thanks for helping me move Timmy," she thanked him, smiling.

He slid to the floor and said, "Yeawell you did move right across the hall from me. If I said no, there's no telling what you could do to me."

She grinned. "Good to know you're appropriately terrified."

Ziva jumped in her chair as she was yanked from her slumber. Her eyes darted around the overly pristine hospital room instinctively, wondering what had woken her. Her eyes landed on Tony's form, and she shot out of his chair, his eyes catching her attention; they were open.

"Tony," she breathed, resting her hand on his forehead. He had been awake only once before then, and even then he was still fuzzy. "How are you?"

"Ziva?" he croaked, and cleared his throat.

"Yes Tony. It's me."

"Where's Jeanne?" he asked, and it felt like he had kicked her in the gut; not just because he was asking for another woman, but because she knew that he loved that woman, and now she was going to have to tell him that Jeanne was in a worse predicament than he.

**Oh boy...so I probably provided more questions than answers with this one, like what did Jenny and Heather talk about?...And I'm pretty sure we all know what that little black and white pic was...and Abby and Tim! EEEE...and omg Ziva! What's she gonna do?**

**All in the next chappie guys! I really do hope you liked this one. Especially since its been awhile. Please review! :)**

**Thanks Tempe4Booth, basket-case1880 , ladybugsmomma, Fiva4Tiva, Prettycrazy, Herky Illiniwek, bluemoon909, hopesmom, JiBbS-tIvA4eVs ,NCIS87, pirate-princess1, Liraeyn, TheBreakfastGenie, and Paris-eternellement, thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter, and the one before that. You make me very happy!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/n: OMG you guys! I hadn't realized it had been 6 days already since my last update. Ugh! I'm sorry, time just got away from me. I hope you like this chapter though!**

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing! I'll do better with my update consistency lol. Promise. :)**

**NCIS87, ****Fiva4Tiva****, ****TheBreakfastGenie****, ****Tempe4Booth****, ****Prettycrazy****, ****pirate-princess1****, ****ladybugsmomma****, ****Liraeyn****, ****basket-case1880****, Bluemoon909, you guys already know how totally awesome you are, but I'll say it anyway….You guys are FANTABULOUS! Lol thnx for reviewing guys :)**

Gibbs entered the door without a sound, but what he did hear made him stop in his tracks. As he neared the basements stairs the unrefined, yet promising key strokes of a young child, reached his ears. As he descended the stairs, Shannon and Kelly's voice cut in as the music ended. He watched Hollis, looking as if she were struggling to hold her emotions together.

She paused for a moment before turning to him with watery eyes, having noticed his presence. They simply stared at each other before she finally spoke. "That's them?" she whispered. At his nod she drew in a shaky breath. "Why didn't you tell me Jethro?"

"I already told you why Hollis. Even my ex-wives didn't find out until a while into our marriages, and it was always by accident."

"Maybe that's why your relationships never worked. Did you want this to work?" At his silence she cut her yes to the side and scoffed. "Does she know?"

He knew who she was talking about, but would not acknowledge the fact. "Who Hollis?" he asked simply, in feigned confusion and annoyance.

"Don't give me that Jethro. You know. Does Director Shepard know? Or I guess you call her Jen."

He again stayed silent and she scoffed, swiping at a few stray tears, "She's pregnant right?" she whispered and his head shot up. She laughed wryly, "She hides it well. I'll give her that." She paused momentarily before whispering, "It's yours. Isn't it." his eyes hardened, and she shook her head. "I won't say anything. Don't worry. I was going to tell you tonight. I'm retiring. Hawaii."

"Hol," he tried, but she held up a hand, effectively silencing him, and smiled a watery smile.

She turned to walk away, but stopped at the foot of the stairs, and turned back only momentarily. "Have a nice life Jethro."

An incessant pounding echoed through the house. Jenny opened her eyes grudgingly at the sound, and tossed the covers off of her body, too aggravated to shiver at the rush of cold air. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, planting her feet on the hardwood floor, and walked around the other side of the bed to snatch up her robe.

She padded down the hallway, and stomped down the stairs, grumbling the entire way. She peeked through the peephole in the door, and her eyes narrowed at finding who her visitor was.

She swung the door open, revealing the silver haired man in her doorway. "What are you doing here Jethro?" she demanded.

"Can't a guy just stop by and see his old partner."

"Well that depends on the context of the word," she said, teasing, and sighed, "Come on in."

He stepped inside and she shut the door behind him, turning to him expectantly, only to find that he had disappeared. She walked through the house, not surprised to find him in her study, a tumbler on the desk, obviously searching for the alcohol she had tossed a week previously.

Noting her presence, he turned to her incredulously, and a little aggravated.

She failed to stifle a laugh, and said, "I threw it out."

Realization dawned on him as to her likely reasons and he nodded replacing the tumbler in the cabinet.

She inhaled before speaking. "Did you just come for the bourbon or did you want something else?" she asked, her voice teasing.

"I want a lot of things. Doesn't mean I'll get it," he muttered suggestively, and she grinned.

"What's going on Jethro?"

"Hollis and I ended it."

Her teasing demeanor dropped at his words, any traces of grogginess gone. "I'm sorry Jethro."

"Are you really?" he asked knowingly, but she said nothing before simply choosing to say, "I'm sure the twins will miss her," the poorly concealed bitterness evident in her voice.

He looked at her in confusion before it dawned on him what she meant. "You mean that walking thing?" he chuckled wryly, "I just said that to piss you off."

Her head snapped up, her eyes full of anger. "What?" she demanded, her voice a low growl, "What the hell would make you do that Jethro?"

"You'd damn near lost your mind Jenny. I guess it worked though. You seem more like yourself."

She advanced on him, her eyes ablaze. "So you decided to lie to me? Do your best to cause me pain? And about my children no less."

"They're the only thing you cared about by then besides the Frog. Even them I wasn't sure about."

"I've always cared about them Jethro. More than myself. You can trust that," she growled fiercely, and it was then that it dawned on her. "Jethro if you're here where are they?"

"Ducky's" he said simply, and Jenny realized how much she had missed, being so immersed in her operation with the Frog. She had not known just how close everyone had grown to her children.

"Is that what you came here to tell me Jethro?" she spat vehemently, "At twelve thirty in the morning? Did you expect sympathy from me?"

"Nah," he replied, seemingly unfazed by her flaring temper, dropping into her chair.

"Well then what do you want?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, further enhancing her nearly six month belly .

"I was in the neighborhood."

"At twelve thirty a.m.?" she quipped, "Jethro what is this about?"

"Hollis asked if you knew about Shannon and Kelly."

Jenny's eyes widened in shock. "How?"

"Ducky?" Gibbs muttered, and she nodded.

"Is that why you ended it?"

He nodded. "Part of it." When she furrowed her brows in confusion, he elaborated further, "She found out," he said, motioning to her belly.

"Oh my God," Jenny sighed, sinking into the couch across from Gibbs. "Jethro I-"

He cut her off. "She's retiring. Hawaii."

"What?" That she had not been expecting.

He nodded. "She's been talking about it. Dropping hints."

"Are you okay?" she asked, her gaze following him as he stood and crossed the room before sinking to the couch beside her.

"It wasn't going to work anyway," he said, and they sat in silence for sometime before he spoke again. "Where does this leave us Jenny?"

She snapped her head to him, her eyes alert. "I don't know Jethro," she sighed, "I already you that I have no intentions of partaking in any games with you. I won't play your rebound."

"Jen you wouldn't be a rebound."

Tony had been out of the hospital for three days already and he was on the mend. Jeanne was another story. She was still in a coma the doctors had had to induce do to the amount of swelling in her brain. There was still no telling if it would cause lasting damage, given that she beat the odds and actually lived. Ziva had still not told Tony about the baby either. She kept telling herself that it was not the right time; but that still begged the question, when _was _the right time?

Gibbs strode into the bullpen, after a few hours in the gym, Ziva and Tim having long since left, the only light being the dim cast of his desk lamp. He assumed Jenny had left as well considering the late hour. As he packed up his things to leave though, a manila folder caught his eye. He snatched the blue post-it from its place on the folder, taking in the familiar elongated scrawl.

_Thought this might be something you'd like to see. Long overdue. Jenny :)_

He opened the flap of the folder, stopping as the contents fell out onto his desk. Inside was a black and white ultrasound picture of the outline of a baby sucking its thumb. He smiled, turning the picture in his hands, surprised at the message on the back in the same elongated scrawl.

_It's a girl. Just one this time._

Jenny grumbled, descending her staircase for the second time that week at an ungodly hour, due to an obnoxious pounding on her door. She squinted into the peephole and yanked the door open in aggravation at finding that her visitor, unwelcome as he was, was the same as well. Before she could open her mouth to berate him, his lips crashed over hers, and she moaned, any semblance of reality or common sense temporarily wiped from her mind.

In a moment of clarity, she pushed him away and wiped her mouth, taking a deep breath. "Jethro," she breathed, leaning against the wall, running a hand through her tangled locks "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He ignored her, simply crashing his lips over hers again. She made a wan attempt to slip out of his grasp, only to have him pin her back by her hips. Her resolve crumbled and she linked her arms around his neck, fisting his hands in her hair.

Hours later, Jenny and Gibbs lied in her bed, him tracing random shapes down her arm.

"Jen," he mumbled into her neck, his voice sending vibrations through her entire body as she drifted into a state of slumber.

"Hmm?" she mumbled groggily.

"I love you."

She smiled softly, intertwining her fingers with his, placed precariously on her belly.

Just as Jenny had finally drifted into a light sleep, the baby kicked her, hard, and she groaned. "Stop kicking mommy so she can sleep." She felt the man in her bed tense up behind her, and she remembered that she had not been nearly so involved in the baby's development as she had. He had no idea that she had started kicking.

When he spoke though, his voice was very much the opposite of the harsh tone and growled words she had been expecting. "How long?" he asked simply, and she locked their fingers tighter.

"A few weeks," she whispered, " a month," and he nodded contritely, somewhat upset that she had not told him about such a milestone event.

"Jethro," she started, but he cut her off.

"Go to sleep Jen."

She sighed, relaxing back against his chest, and closed her eyes, despite knowing that neither of them were likely to be getting any sleep that night.

Jenny shot up in bed, her heart pounding a mile a minute against her ribcage, as her breathing increased in tempo and difficulty. She quickly slid her legs over the edge of the bed, and felt a wave of dizziness and nausea wash over her as her feet met with the cold, hardwood floor. Her world spun even as she tried to shake herself of her disorientation. She gasped, and jumped as she felt a warm hand wrap around her arm. She spun to meet familiar ice blue eyes full of concern, and almost immediately, reality settled in.

Her breathing started to even out, and she was able to think somewhat clearly again. Gibbs led her to the bed, squatting down in front of her. "Jen. Jenny, look at me. Are you alright"

She nodded, swallowing thickly over the lump in her throat. "Can you get me a glass of water?"

He nodded, and reluctantly left the room to appease her request, though he was back in less than a minute. He found her in the bathroom, shaking a green tablet into her still shaking palm. She set the bottle on the counter and turned to him, taking the glass from his hands. As she downed the oblong pill with a gulp of water, he snatched the bottle up from its place on the counter. "_Zoloft_?" he read aloud, "What're you taking this stuff for Jenny?"

"It's nothing Jethro I'm fine," she said, waving off his question, but he was having none of it, caught her by the arm, tugging her back to him gently. He leveled her with a stare, and she sighed heavily, leaning against the wall. "I started having panic attacks. The doctor gave me that to keep them at bay. She said it's the safest thing. Told me to keep my stress down too," she said, chuckling wryly, "But that's easier said than done."

He wanted to be furious with her for keeping him out of the loop so much, but how could he when he was part of the problem; probably a large part of her stress load. What with flaunting Hollis in her face at every turn, and being harsh, to say the least with the media as well as senior figures, he had not exactly made things easy for her. "You could have told me Jenny," he said, brushing a few stray hairs out of her face.

She leaned into his touch, and spoke softly. "You deserved to know," she said in way of an apology, knowing how he felt about those. He hated hearing them just as much as she hated saying them.

He placed a kiss on her forehead, unusually soft and comforting in his actions, before leading her back to bed.

Ziva walked into the bedroom to check on Tony, only to rush to his side at seeing him struggling to get up. "Tony!" she scolded, "You're going to rip your stitches."

"I just had to use the bathroom Ziva," he replied, incensed with his inability to do basic things for himself.

"You could have called me Tony," she sighed, helping him up and out of the bed.

After he had done what he needed to do, and Ziva had helped him back into bed, she sat at the foot, debating on whether to tell him about her new condition. "Tony," she sighed, "Do you love that woman? Jeanne?" She continued again before he could speak, "If you do, then I will not try to stop you."

"Ziva," he cut in abruptly to keep her from saying any more. "I don't. What makes you think that? I told you it didn't mean anything."

"You asked about her in the hospital, meaning she was your first thought."

"Because she was in the car with me. She didn't do anything wrong Ziva. Her dad did. She doesn't deserve to die because her dad pissed some people off." He hesitated a moment before asking, "How is she? Really?"

She knew the sympathetic expression that crossed her face told it all, but still voiced her thoughts. "She is still in a coma Tony. I am sorry. There was so much swelling to her brain. The doctors do not know how things will turn out at this point."

"Goddammit!" he growled, "She doesn't deserve this Ziva."

"No," she agreed, "No she does not." She dragged her finger along the squares of the bedspread, tugging at a loose thread before looking back up to meet his eyes, deciding that it would be too late if she did not tell him then. "Tony, I am pregnant."

**A/n: Oh schnap! Yay! Jenny and Gibbs are back together...maybe...we hope :). And now Ziva and Tony. What _will _he do? Hehe Review please!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/n: Thanks for reviewing guys! Really glad you're liking the story, and I hope you liked this one as much as the last :) I think I'm planning on about 35 chapters before I start on the next installment, but you know me; I get these ideas, and they just won't stop growing Lol. So I don't know, maybe a chapter or two longer...or five :D**

"What?" Tony demanded, his voice full of shock. He must have misheard her.

She leveled her gaze with his, never wavering in her words or actions as she spoke, "I am pregnant Tony."

Her eyes flitted over his face, searching for any miniscule movement that would give way to his emotions, but his expression remained frozen in shock. Abruptly though, and without warning his face split into a grin, and she sighed inwardly in relief. "That's great!" he laughed, and she smiled softly. "Wait," he said cautiously, "you're good with this right?" They did not need a repeat of last time; especially not now.

She laughed. "Yes Tony. I am very _good_ with this."

McGee sat at his typewriter, growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to come up with his next line. He typed only the word, 'the' before pulling the paper out and ran it through his shredder. He prepared his fingers to continue his keystrokes when he was disturbed by a knock at his door.

He groaned, and got up, crossing the room in quick strides. He looked through the peephole and swung the door open in confusion. "Abby?"

Abby stood in his doorway, dressed in her pajamas, a grin on her face. "Hey neighbor. Can I borrow a bag of sugar?"

"Sug-what?" She smiled and walked past him without a word, rummaging through his cabinets even as he protested her presence. "Hey Abs. You know I'm kinda in the middle of something. I was hoping for a little time alone," he said, eyeing his typewriter.

"Don't be silly McGee," was her muffled reply from inside the top cabinet. "Movies are better. And you can't watch movies without company Timmy," she said, tossing bag of popcorn in the microwave. She rolled her eyes at his glare and said, "You weren't getting anywhere anyway." He looked at her in confusion and suspicion. How had she known that? She sighed. "I'm disappointed in you Timmy. I am a forensic scientist you know." She paused, as the microwave beeped, signaling that its contents were done. She pulled the popped popcorn out, and said, "Besides. I know you. Take some time off. It'll help."

He rolled his eyes good naturedly, grabbing the popcorn from her, and she squealed in joy, running to the television.

Jenny rolled out of bed silently, doing her best not to wake the man in her bed. She eased the bedroom door open, sighing in relief when she was able to slip out without hearing the characteristic squeak.

Thirty minutes later, she slipped back into the bedroom, and grabbed the first bra and underwear she found. She dropped her towel, quickly sliding the material over her body. She turned, and jumped to see Gibbs staring at her from his place on the bed. Jethro," she huffed, walking to the closet. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to get a nice view." She peeked her head out of the closet, fixing him with a glare. He chuckled as she stepped out in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, sliding a peasant style white dolman with navy blue stitching over her head. "Where are you going?" he asked. She walked into the bathroom, snatching a hair tie off the counter before walking back out, pulling her wavy red locks into a high ponytail.

"To get Heather," she sighed, "and Eric, and the kids." He cocked an eyebrow expectantly, wondering just what the majority of her family was doing back in D.C. She sat down on he edge of the bed, pulling a pair of black platform boots onto her feet, zipping them over her calves. "They're moving…Here."

"Here?" he demanded, "'To Washington?"

"Yeah. Eric got a job here. He got promoted," she said sliding a black pea coat over her arms.

"And you're getting them from where?"

"The airport. They're staying here until they can find a house," she said, muttering to herself, "_Where are my keys?" _She looked up at him. "Have you seen my keys? Or my purse for that matter?"

"On the table downstairs," he replied. It had always been commonplace for Jenny to loose track of her purse. He had long ago learned to keep track of it for her. "I'll go with you," he said, moving to get out of bed.

"No," she protested, "I'm already late. I won't be long. I'll call when I get there."

An hour later, Jenny ran into the loading area of Gate 5A, smiling as her nieces ran toward her. "Aunt Jenny!" they cried running to hug her.

"Hi girls," she breathed, slightly out of breath. She looked up to see her sister and her brother-in-law walking toward her with the boys at a slower pace, toting their carry-ons. "Hey," she greeted them breathlessly, "Sorry I'm late."

"No it's fine Jenny," Heather said, only grateful that she was there.

"Aunty Jenny is the baby big now?" Isabella asked, full of curiosity.

"Yes honey. She's bigger now," Jenny replied, and the younger redhead nodded, before gasping, realizing just what her aunt had said.

"It's a girl?" she squealed exuberantly, and Jenny nodded, laughing.

Twenty minutes later, with everyone packed into Jenny's car, luggage and all, Jenny pulled out of the parking garage, pulling out her phone to dial the number she knew so well. The recipient of her call answered on the third ring, just as she drove up to the parking attendant's booth. She smiled at the woman, handing her the parking ticket. "Hey," she greeted the person at the other end.

"_You got 'em?"_

"Yeah. We're on our way back."

"_See you when you get here."_

She hung up the phone, taking her change from the attendant, thanking the woman before sliding her shades over her eyes, pulling off as the gate lifted.

Jenny stopped mid-laugh as she spotted a reporter lurking across the street from her house. "Jesus," she muttered, looking up into her rearview mirror as she shifted the car into 'park.' The reporter ran across the road, a camera and pad in hand. "Take the kids inside," she said, turning to her sister.

Heather ushered the children quickly up the walkway as Jenny stepped out of the car, Eric shielding her from the view of the camera, while the reporter fired questions at her.

"Director are the underground rumors of a pregnancy true? If so, who's the father? Is this him? Who are these people you're with? It's said that you already have two children. Would they by chance be the infants you've been seen with on occasion?"

"No comment," Jenny replied to each question, "No comment. Thank you." She sighed, as they walked through the door, and Eric shut it behind him. "Damn reporters," she muttered shedding her coat and boots.

"You got big," Eric teased, despite the truth of his statement. Where she was barely showing two and a half months ago, her stomach was now clearly visible, sans her jacket, protruding slightly, even through her loose shirt.

"Thanks," she replied sardonically, hanging up her coat. Taking her shoes in her left hand. She climbed the stairs, him right behind her, and the animated talking of her young nieces could be heard down the hall. She stopped in the doorway of her bedroom, and bit her lip, holding back the tears that threatened to fall at seeing both of her children, giggling at their cousins' antics. She caught Gibbs' eye, and smiled softly.

Jacob caught sight of his mother and squealed. "Mama!" he cried, reaching for her, "Uuuh!" he whined, trying to indicate for her to pick him up.

"Hi my little boy," she whispered, dropping to the floor, to grab him up in her arms. She kissed his face, and his hands, every inch of him she could get to, sending him into a fit of giggles. She swung his sister into her lap as well. "Hi sweetheart," she cooed, lavishing her daughter with the same treatment she had given her son. Out of her peripheral vision, Jenny caught sight of her sister's apparent surprise at her considerable increase in size, but she had eyes only for the squirming babies in her arms.

Later that night, Jenny and Heather stood in the kitchen, the former chopping onions and garlic, while the latter seared meat in a pan. "I know you told me to stop thanking you," Heather started, smiling at her sister's eye roll, "but really, thank you. I don't know what else to say. You know we'll help you with expenses and everything-"

Jenny cut her off abruptly. "Heather!" she laughed, "Don't worry about it. You'd do the same for me."

They both looked up at the unintelligible, albeit animated babbles of a young child, as Jacob pulled himself to a standing position against the wall of the kitchen doorway. He toddled only a few steps towards to the near identical red heads, before falling to his knees with an "Uh-oh."

Seemingly out of nowhere, his mother scooped him up, tickling his tummy, eliciting a joyful shriek from him. "Jethro!" Jenny called, stopping abruptly as she almost ran in to him. "Jethro," she repeated, quieter this time, handing their son over to him.

"That kid is fast," Gibbs muttered, and as if on cue, Jacob giggled in his father's arms.

Tony's wounds were healing quickly, and he had managed to get out of bed on his own. He swung the bedroom door open, intending to head for the kitchen. He stopped midway, catching sight of Ziva sprawled out on the couch, an open book dangling from her grip, one hand placed over her stomach, where a slight curve had developed. He reached down to brush a stray curl out of her face, only to have her grab his arm in a vice like grip, shoving her gun against his head. She quickly relaxed though, seeing who it was, and replaced the safety on her Berretta. "Tony," she sighed, "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he replied simply, sitting down on the couch, resituating her legs so that they rested on his lap.

"She is doing better Tony. The swelling has gone down. She _is _making progress."

He nodded thoughtfully. "That's good." He was silent for some time while she watched him before he spoke again. "And the Frog?"

"He is in the air."

"Even with the heavy weight her words were intended to carry, he had to chuckle at her blunder. She looked at him in confusion and he had to explain himself. "In the wind Ziva."

"Yes well he is in the wind. We cannot find him."

"I guess Jenny's pissed about that," he spat, and Ziva's eyes softened.

"Tony. She is worried about you," she whispered. Despite the hatred she had previously felt for her friend, she was worried. The red head had been working herself too hard. She was bound to be putting too much stress on herself, and by proxy, her unborn child. "She would not sit at the hospital when you were injured," she recounted, "She just kept…pacing, and pacing. Tony she made herself sick. She did not leave until the doctor's assured us you were stabilized. I heard her when she spoke to Gibbs. She told him that you would not want to see her, and she left."

Tony however, was not so ready to forgive, and when he spoke, his words were harsh. "I thought she'd go straight after Benoit."

"No Tony. I cannot explain it, but she is different now. She is not so…"

"Obsessed," he cut in, and she eyed him pointedly.

"Tony I am worried about her. Every time I have seen her now, she looks so much older. She is tired Tony. She is working herself too hard. It is not good for the baby."

Jenny collapsed into bed that night, weary and exhausted. She did not even bother to rid her face of the traces of makeup lingering on her features. "Jen," Gibbs started, eyeing her pointedly.

"What?" she sighed exasperatedly.

"Jenny you're working to hard."

"Jethro not now," she all but pleaded. She was not up to dealing with his berating then.

"Jenny look at you. You're about to pass out."

"Jethro, I'm fi-"

"Fine, yeah," he cut her off. "Jenny you're not fine. You're having Goddamn panic attacks!"

"And what do you suggest I do Jethro?" Jenny spat.

"You're coming up on six months now. You really think you can hide it much longer. Maybe it's time you told SecNav. It'd take a hell of a lot of stress of you."

"I highly doubt that Jethro. Once he finds out, then what happens to your job? My job? Yes SecNav knows about us, but everyone else doesn't. Do you know how many problems we're going to deal with every time you do something stupid and I cover your ass? I already get it for that. You honestly think SecNav will keep us on after that?" she demanded, "Jethro we will be jobless, with three young children, all of them still in diapers. I'm sure that will work out just fine," she ground out sarcastically.

"Jen that's not gonna happen."

"How do you know?" she demanded, her eyes flashing.

He sighed, seeing quite clearly that he would be getting nowhere with that conversation. "Never mind. G'night Jen."

She sighed wearily, flopping back against the chocolate pillows, and reached out to switch off the light. They lied there in silence for some time before Jenny spoke softly, almost a whisper. "I'll tell him. Just give me a week okay?"

She could almost hear the smile on his face and rolled her eyes, before sliding back so that her back was flush against his chest.

**A/n: Aww! Yay Leilah and Jacob are back! And...it looks like Jenny and Gibbs are really together. Still, they obviously have their problems... So guys, I hope you liked it. I actually got this one up in a timely manner lol. ****Review please! :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Tempe4Booth, Prettycrazy, Fiva4Tiva, Paris-eternellement, Liraeyn, ladybugsmomma, lachildress, NCIS87, liongirl15007, Herky Illiniwek, pirate-princess1, TheBreakfastGenie, thanks you guys! You helped me make it through this hump day lol. :)**

Jenny sat under the dryer at her hair salon, reading Kathy Reich's latest book, _Break No Bones. _It was only by chance that Jenny happened to look up and see her hairdresser, motioning to her. Jenny eyed her in confusion, and the woman held her hand up to her ear in a phone symbol. Jenny failed to catch on, her confusion only heightening, and the other woman pursed her lips in exasperation, pointing to her phone on the table beside her.

Jenny followed the direction of her finger, realization dawning on her at seeing her Blackberry lit up, and vibrating on the table. She snatched it up, pushing the dryer back so that she could hear her caller. "Hello?" she answered, not having bothered to check the caller ID.

"_Jennifer."_

Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized the voice. "Yes Sir?"

"_Is it true?" he demanded, his words coming out harsher than intended._

"Is what true Sir?" Jenny asked, confused for the second time in as many minutes. She had no idea what she had done lately for him to be angry about. They had already dealt with the Frog situation. And for him to be calling her on a Saturday.

"_Have you seen the latest issue of People Jennifer," he snapped, the harshness in his voice masking what he refused to acknowledge was underlying hurt. He had followed her career for quite some time, but had known her on a more personal level for longer . He had known her father well, and considered the young woman somewhat of a daughter._

"No Sir. I don't read those magazines." she was silent for a moment before asking, "Sir what is this about?"

"_You should pick up that magazine."_

She held the phone to her chest, and called across the salon to the lithe with woman with pixie like features and bleach blonde hair, "Michelle!"

He French woman looked up expectantly from her place at the sink, where she was rinsing out another client. "Do you have People?"

"Bottom shelf ma cheri," she replied in a warm voice, lightly accented in French.

Jenny reached down, stopping as she caught sight of the front cover. _First Female director of A Federal Agency Finally Expecting? _

She brought the phone slowly to her ear, and murmured, "Sir I'll have to call you back," not even waiting for his reply before ending the call and letting her phone drop to her lap. She quickly flipped to page 64, gasping at what she found. On a two page spread, were various photos of herself. Underneath each, was a caption giving some sort of "evidence" that she was, indeed pregnant; some were old were quite old, others fairly recent.

One of the older ones was a photo of her dressed for work in a coral cowl neck sweater, paired with a pair of black slacks and matching pumps, as well as a black pea coat, covering what she knew to be a ¾ sleeved, cuffed blazer. If you looked closely the beginnings of a bump were visible where the wind had caught her coat, blowing it open. As the picture clearly showed, she had been juggling a particularly large purse, as well as a cup of hot tea, all the while, balancing her Blackberry between her shoulder and her left ear.

Underneath the picture was a caption. It read, _The red headed Director shows the beginnings of a baby bump as she steps out of her house, obviously in a rush. _

In the next slide, she appeared in more casual dress, leaving a café with Angela and a Middle Eastern woman, considerably taller than either the blonde or the redhead she walked with, Ameira. Jenny wore a simple, green maxi dress, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, her sunglasses resting on her nose. She had been caught mid laughter in the picture; what she had been laughing about she could not remember.

Again, a caption appeared beneath the photo. _Here, the normally fiery red head leaves a small café, accompanied by friends, after a day of shopping, caught in a joyful moment. She has started to wear looser clothing, and we can't help but wonder what she's hiding. But then again, given her currently unmarried status, who could blame her?_

A few more photos of the like appeared on the page, but it was the last one that caught her eye. There, she was pictured in a regal, purple chiffon gown with thin straps. Her hair was curled, and pulled into a half up-do. She held a dark clutch in front of her belly. She had done it all night, self-consciously, despite the fact that the dress did an adequate job of hiding her condition. It was not that though, that caught her attention. It was the bubble surrounding the man in the background.

_The Director looks lovely in a deep purple gown by Carolina Herrera, pictured here at the Marine Corp Ball, but who is this silver haired mystery man in the background? A favorite security detail, or perhaps the father? Dare we say it both! See the next page for more._

Jenny flipped the page so hard it tore a little at the binding. On it, were several photos of her and Gibbs at various events, all with his face enlarged. They had also been caught at various times off of work; having coffee, or in her case, tea, shopping, at the park. The most incriminating though, was a snap of her, slipping into his house late at night. She could only thank God it had been such a dark photo.

She would have been more careful. More private about her life had she known the media had taken such an interest. She was not a celebrity as far a she was concerned, despite the fact that SecNav was constantly telling her that she was 'news.'

She growled, taking in the picture of the twins on the last page, and snatched up her phone, hitting one on her speed dial.

"_Gibbs," he answered gruffly, not having bothered to check the caller ID._

"Jethro," she ground out, struggling to keep her voice at a reasonable level, despite the anger boiling to the surface, "Have you seen the latest People?"

"_What?" he demanded. What the hell was People?_

"Of course you haven't. It's a damn magazine Jethro."

"_No. Jen what the hell are you talkin' about? Where are you?"_

"At my hair appointment. I told you," she growled, "or do you not remember? Go find the damn magazine and you'll see what I'm so Goddamn riled up about," she spat, ending the call, tossing it onto the table next to her once more.

"Everything alright Jenny?" Michelle asked from across the salon, not having been able to help eavesdropping on her friend's conversation.

"Fine," Jenny growled. Everything was certainly not fine. In fact, she was royally pissed, and she had to go deal with SecNav on top of everything.

An hour later, Jenny stepped out of the salon, horrified to see a mob of reporters, toting cameras, screaming her name, firing questions, coming straight for her.

"Director Shepard! Director Shepard! Have you seen the latest issue of People?

"What's your view on the magazine's story? Is it true?

"Who is the father?"

"Are you still unmarried?"

"Director! Director!"

Blinded by flashing lights, she quickly stepped back in side, groaning. She sighed in relief when Melvin appeared at the door to usher her to the car.

She slipped into her house thirty-five minutes later, where Gibbs was waiting for her.

"Hey," he greeted from his place on the couch, as she simply allowed her purse to drop to the ground, doing the same with her coat. She said nothing, simply sinking to the couch beside him. She stretched out, so that her head rested in his lap, and ran a hand through her hair, despite the fact that she had just paid a considerable amount to have it styled.

"I have to see SecNav," she muttered. He called. It's how I found out about the article. "He's pissed."

He was not going to say, 'I told you so.' What he did was say was unexpected, and aberrant. "You alright?" he asked, and she eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine," she replied, still skeptical as to why he was not rubbing it in her face that she had messed up. That he was right.

They were interrupted as the door flew open, and the girls flew in, Noemi behind them.

"Aunt Jenny!" they cried, running into the living room. Noemi ran in behind them, taking each of them gently by the arm.

"Come now niñas. Let's leave your auntie be for little bit."

"It's alright Noemi," Jenny said, smiling wearily at the younger woman, before turning to her nieces. "Did you have fun?" she asked, taking in the balloons, and party bags in their hands.

"Yeah," Isabella nodded happily.

"It was so fun!" Alana cried, unwrapping a piece of candy from her bag, popping it into her mouth. "Mrs. Paparazzo is really nice," she said, around a mouthful of jumbo Now & Later, referring to the woman next door, whose daughter's birthday she and her sister had just attended.

"I'm glad honey," Jenny said softly, smiling at the young child from her place on the couch, her head still resting on Gibbs lap.

"Aunt Jenny does the baby move?" Isabella asked from her place on the floor. At her aunt's nod, she grinned, "Can I touch the baby?"

Jenny smiled, and sat up slowly. Isabella crawled forward reaching her small hand out to her aunt's exposed belly. She made a face in disgruntlement, and looked to her aunt sadly. "I can't feel anything." Jenny took the little girl's tiny hand in her larger one, and waited for the baby to kick. When she did, Jenny guided the little girl's hand to the same spot. They waited a moment, and the baby kicked again. Isabella grinned, and whispered, "Hi baby. I'm Izzy." The baby kicked again, and Isabella giggled.

Jenny stopped outside the door of SecNav's personal office, her hand on the door handle. He was not expecting her. She had to practically beg his secretary not to announce her arrival. She knew he would be hurt that she did not tell him of the pregnancy. He had been her father's friend. He was as good as family to her. But he was also her boss; and she was not sure how her _boss_ was going to react.

She pushed the door open, and he looked up, looking as if he could throttle his intruder, until he saw who it was, and his expression softened. "Jenny," he sighed.

The redhead stood at his door in a fitted, long sleeved black dress, making it quite clear that her pregnancy was far more than just a rumor. He had not seen her in quite some time, outside of MTAC operations, and she had certainly changed. Aside from the blatantly obvious, her hair was longer; it reached her chest, and she wore it wavy again.

She sighed, crossing the room, her coat draped over her left arm, and eased into the chair opposite his. "I should have told you," she sighed. Very few people knew the extent of their relationship, and they preferred to keep it that way. Even Gibbs was not privy to that information. But they knew.

"Why didn't you?" he asked. She must have had her reasons. What they were, he could not fathom.

"I was not entirely confident that you would continue to consider me an adequate candidate for my position, once it became a well known fact that I was sleeping with one of my agents; as well as the fact that we remain unmarried and that he had gotten me pregnant. Twice," she replied smartly.

"Jenny," he sighed, "I've known you since you were twelve years old. And otherwise, your job performance has not declined since you've had your children, or since you started your relationship with Agent Gibbs for that matter. You continue to remain professional in the workplace, and the Agency has received no repercussions for it. I don't see any problems. Do you?"

She managed a small smile, and relaxed in her chair. "No Sir."

He smiled. "Good. Now that our professional business is done, how long?"

"Nearly six months," she replied, resting a hand to her stomach as her daughter kicked her. The kicks were becoming increasingly more forceful, and at times painful.

He looked surprised at her reply. "Six months? You don't look so far along."

She nodded, "Tilted uterus, or something like that. It means I don't show as quickly."

He nodded and asked, "Boy or girl?"

Jenny smiled at the thought of her daughter; her little girl. "Girl."

"Second girl. Jethro will have his hands full. Make sure he tells those boys he was a sniper."

Jenny laughed aloud, the weight she had entered the room with, lifted from her shoulders.

That Monday, as she prepared for work, Jenny had her plan set in her mind. She would not formally announce the pregnancy, nor reveal the father's identity. She was a reasonably private person, and saw no reason to reveal the goings on of her personal life, simply due to being in an elevated position. In fact, she considered that all the more reason to keep her private life just that; private. She would however, cease attempting to hiding her pregnancy.

Jenny stepped off the elevator to her floor in a vibrant, red sweater dress, and knee high black boots. She received stares from the few people on her floor, but she continued towards her office as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

She opened the outside doors to her office, nearly running into Cynthia. The younger woman stopped, looking at her boss in shock. _She was pregnant? _She remained shocked into silence as Jenny apologized. "Excuse me Cynthia. How are you this morning?"

Jenny smiled softly, as the caramel skinned woman simply remained silent, an expression of befuddlement on her face. She stepped past her assistant, heading into her office. Cynthia only came out of her daze as the doors shut, and she slowly continued on toward her original destination.

Several hours later, Jenny sat at her desk, looking through case files, and the occasional invitation to some even or another. She jumped as the doors to her office swung open, revealing Tony, his eyes blazing.

"Tony?" she questioned, somewhat surprised, but altogether relieved to see him. She had not known he was doing so well. She had not expected him back to work for quite some time, at least another weeek.

"Jeanne's dead," he spat.

**A/n: Gasp! Lol Review...please...they make me ever so happy :)**


	33. Chapter 33

"What?" Jenny breathed. She felt like the wind had just been knocked out of her.

"She's dead," Tony spat, his words dripping with venom. "They pulled the damn plug. She's was brain dead."

Jenny's breathing grew heavy and labored as she pushed herself out of her chair. "Close the door," she whispered, all but running for the bathroom. She choked and gasped, as she retched up her last meal. Tony was by her side in an instant as she emptied the contents of her stomach, holding her hair to the side.

"Jeez Jenny!" he muttered, deciding that his previous antics had not exactly been decorum. "She's not dead. I'm-"

He was cut off as she retched again, clutching her stomach. She coughed a few more times before, moving to stand, pushing him away from her. She rinsed her mouth out at the sink, and cleared her throat, unable to get the God-awful taste out of her mouth.

"Jenny," Tony tried, knowing he had messed up, and done so in epic proportions. He was constantly complaining about her hatred and obsession, and he had now done the same. He was so intent on making her sorry for what she had put him through, what she had put Jeanne through, that he did not think of the repercussions his actions may have. And he had to admit, saying Jeanne was dead may not have been the best choice. But he knew deep down why he did it. He wanted to see if what Ziva had said was really true; if Jenny had actually changed. The Jenny he had known during the Frog operation would not have made herself sick over the fact that her mortal enemy's daughter was dead. She would have considered it a means to an end, as she did everything else.

"You are dismissed Agent Dinozzo," Jenny's voice cut into his thoughts abruptly, her voice like sharp shards of ice.

"She almost died though, you know," he replied reproachfully, and her eyes flitted to his.

"The swelling caused a seizure. Sent her into a coma. The doctors had her off the meds for a while. They were just waiting for her to wake up. This probably set her back about a few weeks."

"Jesus," Jenny sighed, running a quick hand through her copper locks, the other rubbing circles on her belly in attempts to soothe the child inside of her. She had obviously picked up on the stress her mother was feeling. "I never meant for it to get this bad," she confessed, "It wasn't supposed to go this far."

"Maybe not when you started, but you sure didn't give a damn how far it went once you saw him in person."

Jenny chose to leave work for the day after lunch, having just gone to see her doctor for another ultrasound, due to the increasing discomfort she had been feeling. The doctor had informed her that the baby was in a posterior position and was riding high, making it more difficult for her mother to move comfortably.

Jenny sighed as she stepped through her front door. Her day was jus not going well whatsoever. First there was Tony, and now this. She was seriously considering taking her maternity leave within the next month. It was uncharacteristic of her, but she was actually starting to agree with her children's' father. Maybe it was time she stopped pushing herself so hard. She had put all she could, and then some into her work. It would be difficult to, for lack of a better word, slack, some.

Jenny climbed the stairs to her bedroom, stopping by the nursery to see Noemi trying to get the twins to sleep. She was careful not to let the twins see her for the time being. She knew they would not be going to sleep if they were to see her now.

Noemi turned, catching sight of her boss as she put the twins, who had finally gone to sleep, into their cribs.

Jenny stepped aside as the smiling, young Latina exited the room. "Hola Senora," she greeted, shutting the door behind her, "You are home early. Are you sick?" she asked, concerned.

"Oh no. Nothing like that," Jenny assured the younger woman, "I just thought I would take the day. It's been a bit of a hectic week."

"Oh si," Noemi agreed, letting the exhaustion drip into her voice.

Jenny laughed, Noemi soon joining in, and the red head, offered, "Noemi why don't you go home? Get some rest. I'm here now, I can take care of things for the rest of the day."

"Oh no Senora. It is fine. I am cooking dinner anyway."

"Well at least sit down for a little bit. The house is nearly spotless, the twins are asleep, the other kids are at school, and dinner won't be ready for quite some time I'm sure."

"Si Senora," Noemi, said, gracing her boss with a thankful look. She truly was exhausted. The extra people in the house had certainly taken its toll; not that she was complaining, but she did need a break.

An hour later, Jenny was alerted by a car pulling into the driveway. She moved to her feet, and pushed the curtains aside to see her nieces and nephew coming up the walkway, their mother behind them.

Alana readied her small fist at the door, preparing to knock, only to be surprised when her aunt opened the door.

"Aunt Jenny," Isabella squealed, pushing past her sister to launch herself at her aunt.

Jenny laughed, catching the small girl in a hug. "Hi honey."

"You're home early," Heather commented, Austin on her hip, and closed the door behind them.

"Yeah, Jenny replied, dropping to the couch. Isabella crawled into her lap, talking to the baby softly as her aunt and mother talked. "I had an ultrasound appointment and just decided to take the day.

"Good," Heather praised her older sister, eyeing her pointedly, "You're working yourself to hard Jenny."

"Yeah," Jenny sighed, "Everyone keeps saying that."

"Well maybe you should listen," Heather teased, despite being very serious in her statement.

"Mmm," Jenny murmured, and turned to the children in the room, "How was your day?" she asked.

"Good," Alana, replied, speaking around a chocolate chip cookie.

Heather spoke up, further elaborating on her daughter's words. "I got Lana, and Izzy, and Jackson enrolled in school, and I found a daycare for all of them.

"Good," Jenny smiled, resituating her niece on her lap, as she was once more uncomfortable.

"I have to get them school supplies though, and they start on Monday. I'll have to take them after work I guess. I've got to work in the ICU all weekend," Heather mused, more to herself than anyone.

"I can take them tomorrow," Jenny offered, bouncing her niece on her lap.

"Jenny, no. I can't ask you to do that," Heather protested.

"It's nothing Heather. I haven't exactly been the best lately," she muttered, remembering her actions, and worst, her personality changes, during the entire Frog operation.

"Jenny you're pregnant. You're allowed to be a little nasty," Heather laughed.

Jenny preferred not to go into details. Her sister was somewhat in the dark, due to their lack of communication, and she hoped to keep it that way. "I'll take care of it Heather."

"Jenny are you-"

Jenny cut her off, laughing at how similar they were in their mannerisms. Their father always had said he had no chance with three stubborn redheads in his house, none of which he could ever say no to. "I'm sure Hevs. I'll take them. It's really not a big deal."

The next day, with the three out of four of her nieces and nephews piled into the back of her Escalade, she slid her glasses down over her eyes, and turned to the children in the backseat. "Ready?" she asked. Even at their nods, she still felt the need to ask the one thing that everyone normally forgot. "Did everybody use the bathroom?" she asked, and sure enough, Isabella had not.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through the doors of the nearest Office Max, Isabella's small hand clasped tightly in one of her aunt's larger ones, Alana's in the other, while Jackson lagged behind somewhat. "Jackson, can you get a basket please?" Jenny asked, and to her surprise he actually spoke more than few words to her; more than he had said since they had arrived.

"Sure thing Aunt Jenny," he replied, before running off to grab a small black basket. He returned, but instead of handing it to her, held onto it, and said, "I'll carry it."

By the time they left the store, multiple bags in hand, they still only had half of what the children needed. As they approached her car, Jenny unlocked it, and the children set off at sprint. As she packed the bags into the trunk of her car, there was dread in her stomach as she thought of their next destination.

Within ten minutes, they pulled up to a large building of cement bricks, the word 'Wal-Mart' emblazoned across the front in bold, blue lettering. Just as she had expected, the parking lot was full of cars, and trucks, and motorcycles; there was hardly a space in sight. The inside would only be worse.

Walking through the automatic doors, Jenny wanted to scream at the length of lines, and if that wasn't bad enough, the _amount_ of things people carried.

Jackson grabbed a cart, even without her having to ask, and she grew suspicious. What had changed that he was suddenly speaking to her in full sentences, in more than simply a cordial and respectful manner; that he was trying to be so helpful. She quickly pushed the thought aside though. She had more important things to do.

"Can I get in the cart?" Isabella pleaded, and Jenny moved to lift her niece up, only to be stopped by her nephew.

"I can do it Aunt Jenny," he offered. "She's too heavy."

"No honey. It's okay," Jenny assured the young boy, "You might drop her."

"No I won't. I did it for mom all the time when she had Austin," he replied, lifting his little sister into the cart before Jenny could protest. And then it hit her. She was pregnant. He was doing everything he could to make sure that she was okay.

She smiled, and grabbed his face affectionately. "Thank you honey."

Several hours later, with everything checked off on the supply list, and the collection of three ton bags stuffed into the trunk, Jenny made sure that everyone was buckled in safely, and started the car. Suddenly, she got an idea, and smiled softly, imagining their reactions. "How about some ice cream?" she asked, pulling out of the parking lot. She laughed at the exuberant cheers of the children in the back, taking their reactions a definite yes.

Jenny parked her car, striding up the walkway, her nieces and nephew by her side, each of them a cup of ice cream in hand. Jenny held one nearly empty of it's previous chocolate, her latest craving. Jackson devoured one full of Oreo ice cream, while Alan and Isabella did the same with Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookie Dough respectively.

Sliding her key into the lock, she heard the click and pushed the door open. Strangely enough, the house seemed almost too quiet. Her senses heightened as she made her way through the house, past her study, through the living room. She heard something clatter to the floor from the den, and turned to the children behind her. "Stay here," she ordered, and they nodded, their eyes full of fright. Never had they seen their aunt looking as she did then. The laughter and frivolity in her eyes was replaced by cold hardness. The laugh lines around her mouth had disappeared, replaced by lines between her brows.

Once she was confident they would do as they were told, Jenny grabbed her gun from its holster at her back, and readied herself. She held her arm steady. Her trigger finger rested lightly in its place. She took a deep breath and darted around the corner, her eyes full of confidence, and cocked her gun.

**A/n: Oh! You guys are awful lol! Wanting Jeanne dead. **_**No, **_**she is not dead, but she won't interfere too badly with Ziva and Tony's relationship. And um…BTW: this is definitely going to stretch past 35 chapters lol. Not too much more to go now though.**

**Now who the hell is in the house?**

**Review Please!**


	34. Chapter 34

"Surprise!" She was greeted by a chorus of her friends. That was not what she had been expecting.

She lowered her gun, replacing the safety on the weapon before re-holstering it. "What are you all doing here?" she demanded, "How did you get in?" She could have very well killed at least one of them.

Abby stepped forward, having been in the front of the group. "It's a baby shower," she explained, grinning, hoping the red head would not be upset.

"A baby shower?" Jenny repeated.

"Yeah," Abby agreed, watching Jenny's face for any signs of what she was about to do. Whether she should run, or wait to be hugged. A smile tugged at Jenny's lips, and Abby cheered, "Yay!" moving forward to hug the older woman.

"Okay Abs," Jenny rasped, "I can't breathe."

Abby jumped back, grimacing apologetically. "Sorry!" she said quickly, and Jenny laughed.

"It's okay Abby." Jenny assured the young Goth, and as she turned back to her group of friends, she noticed that their expressions had visibly relaxed. Only then did she remember the children she had left standing around the corner. "Shit!" she hissed, making her way back down the hall. There she found the three of them eyeing her expectantly, somewhat perplexed. "It's okay guys," she assured them, leading them back into the den.

As they approached the room, Jenny actually took in the decorations there. Her den had been completely transformed. There were movie reel round tables throughout the room; about four of them. Around the tables were gold ballroom chairs with red cushions on the seats. In the middle of each table were signs, each with the name of some concession or another, written in Abby's artistic handwriting; accompanying them were disposal cameras. Each table had an actual concession stand by it to match the word on the card. The walls were papered with posters of actors, and movies, and screen sirens. Despite everything though was the cake at the back of the room that caught her eye. It was in the shape of a movie reel, topped with some of the most realistic looking popcorn she had ever seen, and stuck in the popcorn was a red movie ticket. What it read, she could not tell, but just the sight of it was amazing.

"How did you do all of this?" she asked incredulously. She had been gone no longer than four hours, and her house looked like nothing of the sort when she had left.

"Magic," Abby teased, and came up behind her, placing two hands over the other woman's eyes. "Don't peek," she ordered, leading her to the right. After a few steps, she moved her hands away with an, "Okay," the excitement barely contained in her voice.

Jenny gasped at the person before her, sitting in what looked like a Director's chair, a coy smile on their face. "Mom?" Jenny laughed. How had she gotten there? "When did you get here?" she asked, "_How_, did you get here?"

"There is such a thing as airplanes you know Jenny," Julie teased, moving forward to hug her very pregnant daughter. "Well look at you," she murmured, taking a step back, "You're certainly pregnant now." She couldn't help but smile. The fact that she was attending the shower of her eldest was a miracle in itself. She had never thought she would ever really talk to her daughter again, much less see her, or be a part in her life.

Jenny hummed her agreement, somewhat distastefully, and laughed. She acted like she was so tired of the pregnancy, but she would do it for as long as it took, so long as it meant meeting her daughter.

Soon everyone had taken their seats, Jenny in the seat of honor, the same Director's chair her mother had been sitting in, the word 'Mommy' stitched onto the back in gold lettering. Meanwhile, Angela, Ziva, and Abby retreated to the kitchen to retrieve the food for the party, as they were the ones essentially hosting the shower. Jenny spoke with a dark skinned woman with large, dark, doe eyes, and curly auburn hair. She was slightly younger than Jenny, but they had been friends since high school. Jenny had been a Senior, Lisa a Freshman. "How are Jasmin, and Janice?" Jenny asked, referring to her friend's twin, five year old girls.

"Oh they're great. Loving school. I'm glad for that," Lisa laughed. "They've been asking me constantly when they get to see Aunt Jenny and when will they get to see the babies again."

"It's been a while hasn't it. I think the last time I saw them, mine were only, what? Six months? So that's been nearly four months."

"Yeah, about," Lisa agreed. Their conversation was cut short as Angela walked down the steps, closely followed by Abby and Ziva. As they moved closer, Jenny could see a large tray of half deviled eggs, and half mozzarella sticks in their Angela's hands, both of which were two of her favorite tings to eat. In Abby's hands were racks of ribs, wraps, and an assortment of chicken wings, while Ziva brought up the rear with chocolate sundaes, and chocolate covered strawberries.

After they had eaten, Angela led them to the home theatre, a part of Jenny's house that had been purposely kept from Tony for quite some time, and here were still no plans to inform him of the amenity. There, the floor in front of the first row of seats was covered in gifts of all shapes and sizes, wrapped in various shades of wrapping and bows.

"Open mine first," Abby demanded gleefully, pointing to a group of presents wrapped in pink, a color uncharacteristic of Abby, but the skulls that covered the paper, well, that was exactly Abby. Jenny smiled, taking a seat, and reached out to grab the first gift, in a rectangular box shape. As she pulled the top off, she laughed at the contents. It was perfect. Inside, was a set of hot pink baby clothes, a white skull with a pink bow accenting each piece. There was a onesie, a bib, and a warm cap. Next, was a somewhat large bag, which Jenny took to be a purse, until Abby spoke up, "It's a diaper bag," she explained, "so you don't have to carry around the ones that just you just _know _is a diaper bag."

Jenny opened the bag, and sure enough, there were compartments for everything the baby would need. "Thank you Abby. This is wonderful," Jenny said, smiling.

The Goth simply grinned, and said, "Keep going."

Jenny grinned as well at her antics, and did as she was told. She tore the paper off of a relatively large box, and laughed aloud at what she uncovered. Written on top of the box, were the words, 'Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit.' Abby laughed with her; as did everyone else. Abby then handed Jenny a smaller gift, the last from her. Pulling it out, Jenny smiled, holding the black shirt up. On the front, where the top would stretch over her belly were the words, 'Baby Bump brought to you courtesy of a U.S. Marine.' "This I love," Jenny said, and Abby grinned, bending down to hug the red head.

"Tim wanted me to give you his," she said, pushing the largest box of the bunch, toward her, as well as a smaller one, much the same shape as Abby's first had been. Inside the large box was a red and black jogging stroller to fit three children; exactly the thing she needed. She then opened the smaller box and smiled in amusement once more.

"Jethro will love this," she murmured, holding out the small, sky blue t-shirt that read 'Probie.' She knew the shirt had to have been custom made and it touched her that he had gone through the trouble. Underneath that was a white shirt, presumably for her, reading, 'Because I'm the director-That's why!' in blue lettering. "Make sure to thank him for me Abby?" she asked, though she still planned to thank him herself, at the first chance.

Abby nodded, smiling, and Jenny moved to the next gift, wrapped in green paper. Reading the card, she saw that it was from Ziva. She looked to the Israeli, who was by then sporting a little bump of her own as well. She smiled at the red head, and received one in return as Jenny removed the wrapping paper. She pulled out two powder pink onesies, one she knew was also custom made reading, 'My aunt could kill you eighteen different ways with a paperclip,' the other reading, 'My daddy is a Marine, but my mommy is the Boss.'

"Thank you Ziva. I love them," Jenny said, but what she really meant, and what Ziva knew she meant, was, I'm sorry.

"I am glad," Ziva replied, smiling at the older woman, the expressions on their faces practically saying, 'We've got a secret.' "And," she started, "Tony wanted me to give you this," she said, handing Jenny a box, wrapped in movie themed paper that just screamed Tony.

Jenny's eyes locked with hers, as she took the box. Opening it, she smiled. The day had been full of them. There were three articles of clothing, two for the baby, one for her. One for the baby was a white onesie, in the format of an I Love NY shirt, 'I Love the director.' As well as that was a pink one, reading, 'The _new_ kid.' Hers though, made her laugh. It was a simple white tank top, but printed across the chest, was the phrase, 'We're hungry.'

She was about to set the box aside, but something left inside caught her eye. It was a pacifier, but the words are what made her double over in laughter. 'Mute Button.'

Later that night, Jenny stood at the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth while Gibbs showered.

"So Heather tricked you into taking them shopping, to get you out of the house?" he laughed, raising his voice to be heard over the running water.

She had been recounting the events of her day to him for the past ten minutes, after showing him the multitude of gifts she had received. She was almost positive they would have to do hardly any shopping when for this baby either. Se spit in the sink, and rinsed her mouth out before replying. "She knew I wouldn't back down," Jenny grinned, thinking how well her sister knew her. "They did need supplies though, so it worked out both ways." She chuckled patting her face dry, and stepped out into the bedroom. She grabbed the shirt from Abby out of her drawer . It had been the one thing she had not shown him. She wanted to see his reaction.

Sure enough, several minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, a black towel wrapped around his waist. She turned to him, grinning in the shirt and a pair of boy shorts.

He grinned, making his way across the room. "Who gave you that one?" he asked.

"Abby," she replied, and he smiled again.

"I like this one," he said.

"I figured you would," she shot back teasingly.

As he changed into nightwear, she debated with herself, wondering what the best time would be to voice her thoughts. "So, do you have any ideas for her name?" she asked, "I was thinking of maybe letting you name this one, since I named the other two.

"Nah," he said, "Nothing's really stuck." He lied. He seriously lied. He had a name, and it had been nagging at the back of his mind for months.

She messed with a loose thread at the edge of the comforter, her actions exuding nervousness. When she spoke she failed to meet his eyes, keeping her eyes on that oh so important thread. "I have," she murmured. When she finally met his eyes, his icy ones seemed to bore into her emerald ones expectantly. She took a shallow breath. She had no idea how he would react to her next words. Would he scream, or throw things? Or God forbid; would he crumple before her? She did not think she could stand that another time. The explosion nearly a year ago had been enough. "I was thinking maybe Ava. Ava…" She hesitated . "Kelly."

She watched his eyes for any sign of emotion, and the sorrow she found there killed her, because she was the reason for it. She wished she had never said anything, that she could take it back. She tried. "Never mind Jethro. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

He cut her off, brushing his lips softly over hers. "It's perfect Jenny," he said, and surprise flickered across her face, before a smile took its place.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and shrieked as he lifted her with ease, despite her twenty pound weight gain.

"Trust me Jen," he assured her, dropping her onto the bed, albeit gently, "I'm sure." Kelly. Just the name he was thinking of.

He then reached across her, pulling a long, navy blue, velvet box from the nightstand drawer. "I was going to wait," he said, "Until she was born, but since you had the baby shower thing, that's my present.

She smiled, and gasped as she opened the box. Nestled in black velvet, was a platinum charm bracelet. The jewelry held three diamond charms of various shapes, an oval, a circle, a square, and two hearts. "Jethro," she breathed "it's beautiful."

He gently took the bracelet from her hand, and opened one of the hearts. It was a locket. He handed it back to her, and inside was a picture of she and her father on one side, she and him on the other. The next heart opened to reveal a picture of Leilah, and one of Jacob. The third charm held the twins' ultrasound, as well as that of the new baby; the picture she had left on his desk that night. The other two were left empty, presumably for her to fill.

She smiled, fearing she would cry, and latched the bracelet around her wrist before turning to face him. She placed her hands on each of his cheeks, leaning in to kiss him with every emotion she felt, finding that words could not be thanks enough.

It had been a month since Jenny's baby shower, and longer since Tony's accident, and even longer still since anything had gone wrong with either Jenny or the twins. Things were finally starting to go well.

Ziva was nearly into her second trimester, and everything was well. Eric was excelling in work, and he and Heather and the kids were settled into a nice house not far from Jenny's. Alana and Isabella were loving school, while Jackson was playing soccer, and Austin was having the time of his life in nursery school. Leilah and Jacob were coming up on eleven months. Jenny and Gibbs were finally comfortable in their relationship again, as were Tony and Ziva.

Gibbs had moved into Jenny's house with her and the twins the previous week, and the majority of the latest office bets were no longer on Agent Gibbs and the Director or Very Special Agent Dinozzo and Officer David; but on Agent McGee and Abby Sciuto, the forensic specialist, who had been showing those cursed tell tale signs.

No one had word of Jeanne for some time. The most details they had received were that she had made a full recovery. She had contacted Tony only once when she had been released from the hospital, simply because she wanted the truth; he had given it to her. What she heard though, was not anything she had been ready for. Her life had been turned upside down. Her father was missing, the man she was in love with was not really that man at all; she was alone. Tony had been worried for her, and had tried to approach her at work, only to find that she had quit with no forwarding address.

Jenny headed toward the elevator, not surprised to see Gibbs and his team there as well. Abby had sent them all an email saying that she needed to see them all in her lab; that she had found something important.

They all stepped off of the elevator, Gibbs allowing Jenny to go first, then himself before anyone else, as always. The doors to Abby's lab opened with a hiss, and she turned to them a look of surprise on her face, despite her smile. "Hey! What are you guys doing here?" she asked, as the door closed behind them, and they all looked to her in confusion.

"You told us to come," Tony answered eyeing her suspiciously. Abby did not normally forget things like that.

"I never told you come down here," Abby contradicted him, the wheels in her head already turning.

Suddenly, a hail of bullets shattered the window, and life moved in slow motion as Gibbs instinctively covered Jenny's body with his, taking her to the ground. Tony grabbed for Ziva. He pulled her to the ground, covering her from the windows.

Tim moved for Abby and a blood curdling scream resounded throughout the room.

**A/n: Bet you thought this was a fluff chapter eh?….Okay so it was really, but I had to throw a little something in at the end you know. I hope you liked it luvs!**

**Review please! You know how I love the feedback :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/n: Aww you guys! You do care lol. ****JET1967****, ****Fiva4Tiva****, ****Tali 101****, ****Aunt Jo****, ****DS2010****, ****Paris-eternellement****, ****NCISGleek****, ****Herky Illiniwek****, NCIS87, ****ladybugsmomma****, ****Prettycrazy****, ****JiBbS-tIvA4eVs****, ****Liraeyn****, ****Tempe4Booth****, ****TheBreakfastGenie****, ****theonlyxception****, ****NCISninja12****, and ****lachildress****, you guys are the total bomb! **

Tim looked down at the scream to see crimson liquid dripping from Abby's arm where a bullet had grazed her. He ran across the room into her office, away from windows. He kept low on the ground, dragging her with him.

Gibbs motioned for Tony to go next. The younger man nodded. He and Ziva moved across the room in quick strides, despite their crouched position.

Gibbs then turned to Jenny. She gasped at the deep gash on his head, covered in blood. "Jethro-"

He cut her off. "Can you run?" he demanded.

"Yeah. You know I've got this great thing where I can move really fast when people are shooting at me," she hissed sardonically. Gun drawn, he covered her from the windows. They stepped out from the cover of Abby's lab cart. Suddenly, another shower of bullets shot through the room. Glass beakers and test tubes shattered. They each dived with a thud, and fingers wrapped around their arms, pulling them into the office.

Gibbs kicked the door shut behind him, leaning against it. Tim wrapped Abby's arm with what looked like a scrap of his black dress shirt, while Tony checked Ziva over despite her protests.

"Jethro are you alright?" Jenny breathed, anxiety edging into her voice, as she tilted his face gently to her. She inspected the nasty cut along his head, meticulously picking out the small shards of glass she found there.

"I'm fine Jen," he growled, looking her over. Only when he was satisfied that she was unharmed, did he move to get up. She tugged him back, however, and muttered, "Sit still one second would you?"

Across the room, out of earshot of everyone else, Tim sat wrapping Abby's arm tightly with a makeshift bandage he had made out of his shirt sleeve. "I'm sorry Abby," he apologized for the tenth time, "I should've gotten to you faster."

"It's okay Tim," she tried, yet again, to reassure him, "It's not your fault. Besides it doesn't even hurt really. I didn't mean to scream. I've just never actually been shot before."

"Yeah well I was hoping it could've stayed that way," he sighed, tying the 'bandage' tight, and helped her to her feet.

"Gibbs!" Abby gasped, taking in the considerable amount of blood smeared across the right side of his head, presumably from the deep gash there.

"I'm fine," he growled before she could say anything else.

"Abby do you have any alcohol?" Jenny murmured.

"Out there," she replied apologetically.

"How about some strong vodka?" the red head inquired and everyone looked at her like she was crazy; everyone but Gibbs. He simply grimaced, remembering the night he had nearly sliced his hand open cutting wood. The axe had slipped in his grip, slicing a cut straight down his palm.

Jenny had found him trying to wrap it, and nearly taken his head off she was so angry.

_Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood against the side of the small Serbian cottage he and his partner/lover had taken refuge in. He hissed, as he tried to wrap his bleeding hand in a piece of his shirt he had managed to rip off with his teeth. _

"_Jethro?" came the call of a soft alto voice, he would normally love to hear, but at that moment cursed at the sound of it. She was going to kill him if the infection didn't._

_Sure enough, as she rounded the corner, her eyes widened, and she rushed toward him. "Jethro!" she demanded "What did you do?"_

"_Axe slipped," he muttered, and she groaned, dragging him back into the house._

"_Sit," she ordered, pointing to a chair in the kitchen. He did as he was told, and within seconds she reentered the kitchen, several towels, a bar of soap, and a thin pillowcase in hand. She set the supplies on the table, and quickly went to boiling a pot of water. "Jesus Jethro," she muttered, looking back at him every so often, the amount of blood coming from his wound making her more skittish every time._

_She flung cabinet doors open, looking for something, anything, to serve as a disinfectant. Finally she stopped, finding a half empty bottle of 160 proof vodka. She had no idea where anyone would have found that, but grabbed it. It would have to work._

_She washed her hands quickly, and dropped the soap into the hot water. She dipped a towel into the soapy water, and rung it out just so it was not dripping. "This might hurt," she whispered, taking a seat in front of him, grabbing his outstretched hand. She squeezed the cloth over his hand, allowing the soap to wash over the wound. "You stupid man," she muttered, "You are a stupid, stupid man."_

_After she had cleaned the wound the best she could, she uncapped the vodka, and met his eyes. "This is going to hurt. No maybe about it." _

_He nodded, and she poured the alcohol over the wound. "Shit Jenny!" he hissed, trying to jerk his hand back, but she held it firmly in place, allowing the alcohol to trickle over the cut. She ripped the pillowcase, and wrapped it around his hand, using it as a bandage. "What on earth were you thinking Jethro?" she demanded. "You could have died from a damn infection," she muttered, cleaning up the blood soaked towels._

He was jerked abruptly from his reverie by a searing pain in his head. "Ah!" he hissed, "Jesus Christ Jen!"

"Sorry," she whispered, but continued to press the vodka soaked towel against his wound. She yanked at the sleeve of her blouse, and hearing a satisfying rip, handed it to him. "Keep that pressed against you head," she ordered, and bit her lip. "That's going to need stitches Jethro.

"I'll be fine Jen," he muttered, moving to his feet, holding his good hand out for her to take. She took the offered hand, and got to her feet as well, with his help.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded, more as a way of venting than anything; no one new anymore than she.

"McGee," Gibbs barked, turning to the computer buff, only to have the younger man cut in, already moving to do what his boss needed.

"Hacking into our security footage now boss. Exterior and interior perimeter."

Gibbs then turned to Tony, "Dinozzo-"

"I'll see if I can contact somebody upstairs, make sure they know what's going on, but don't come down here." Tony said, pulling out his phone.

"Ziva."

"I will call the FBI Gibbs. Have them get SWAT on the rooftops," she said, pulling out her phone as well.

"No," Gibbs barked, and her fingers paused over the phone, as she eyed him expectantly, and a bit reproachfully. His voice softened somewhat as he plucked the phone out of her hands. "You sit," he ordered, "You're pregnant. I'll do that."

"Gibbs," she sighed, "I can sit down and make calls at the same time. Not that I need to sit down anyway."

"Maybe, but we don't need any premature kids in here, so sit," he ordered once more. She narrowed her eyes at him, but complied resignedly, and slowly eased onto the couch. He nodded imperceptibly, albeit satisfactorily, and looked to the redhead beside him. "You too."

"Excuse me?" she demanded. "I don't know who you're ordering around Jethro."

"Just sit in the damn chair Jenny," he barked, and she cocked a manicured brow.

"Please," he sighed, and she smiled, easing onto the couch beside Ziva.

Within minutes, Gibbs was already shouting at some rookie FBI Agent on the phone. "We have five federal agents trapped in an enclosed room, taking heavy fire; two of them are pregnant, one of which being the _seven and a half months _pregnant director of said federal agency. Does that sound like a big enough goddamn emergency to you?" he demanded, "You know what? You go find Fornell, and you put him on! Now!" His face took on an expression of disbelief, before it soon morphed into pure unadulterated fury. His voice lowered to a growl, but it was even more menacing than before. "I don't give a damn, how pissed your _boss_ is going to be. Say the Director of NCIS dies on your watch; think how pissed he's gonna be then! Now go find Fornell!"

He waited on the line only a few minutes before his request was granted, and Fornell answered.

"_Gibbs! Are you having fun terrorizing my agents?" he laughed, not having received any information on the situation from his Agent._

"We're locked in Abby's lab Fornell. Taking heavy fire, and your goddamn agent didn't want to hand over the goddamn phone!"

"_Wait what?" Fornell demanded._

"Fornell get your damn SWAT team on the rooftops. I want him caught!"

"_Gibbs! Define we. Who's locked in there with you?"_

"I already told your dumbass agent all of this Fornell."

"_Yeah well dumbass didn't tell me, so you do it!"_

"Dinozzo, McGee, Abby, Ziva, and the Director. If you didn't already know the last two are pregnant."

"_Shit!" Fornell hissed. "McAllister!" he shouted, presumably to one of his agents, "Get SWAT out to the Navy Yard! Think you can do that right?" He then redirected his conversation back to Gibbs_. _"Alright Gibbs. SWAT's on it's way, I'll be out there to supervise the whole thing."_

Gibbs then hung up, without a word, and turned to the people in the room with him, relating Fornell's message.

Within two hours, still, they had not heard back from Fornell, and they were growing restless, namely Jenny, or the baby rather. The redhead moved to her feet, resting a hand to her belly, rubbing small circles in an attempt to calm the now constantly moving child.

She felt Gibbs wary gaze on her, as he was the only one watching her so intently. Abby had somehow fallen asleep in Tim's lap, and Ziva was not far from it. "I'm fine Jethro," she murmured, unintentionally bringing the room's attention to rest on her.

"Is everything alright Jenny?" Ziva asked, now fully awake and concerned for her friend.

"Fine Ziva," she tried to assure the Israeli, "I was just getting restless is all."

Ziva was about to rebut her statement, but the red head was saved from a tongue thrashing at the shrill ringing of Gibbs' phone.

"Yeah Gibbs," he answered gruffly in his customary greeting.

"_Gibbs," Fornell's elevated voice drifted through the phone, no doubt due to the wind whipping in the background._

"Yeah."

"_Gibbs there's nobody up here."_

"What?" he demanded, and Fornell elaborated.

"_We scoured the city Gibbs. There's no one here, but look, we did find something."_

"Well what is it?" Gibbs barked.

"_Sniper's nest," Fornell replied, but Gibbs sensed he was holding something back. He was proven right at the other man's next words. "There's more. He left DNA, urine." He hesitated. "He wrote your name, 'Gibbs,' in it."_

"Bring it to the lab Fornell," Gibbs growled, snapping his phone shut. "Bastard wanted to be found," he muttered under his breath, and turned to Abby. "Abby go set up that DNA thing," he ordered, "It's all clear. Guy's gone, but he left DNA."

Abby scrambled up from her place on the floor, and hesitated at the door, where Tim went before her. A hint of a smile could be seen on her face before she quickly followed behind him.

Once Fornell had appeared with the evidence bag, Jenny turned to Gibbs. "Jethro, you need to see Ducky," she murmured, but he brushed her off.

"I'm fine Jen," he grumbled.

"That's an order, Special Agent Gibbs," she said, the authority in her order quite clear.

He glared at her, and stormed from the room. She rolled her eyes, and turned to the forensic scientist in the room. "Abby, I want you to get checked out too, before you run anything."

"Oh no Director. I'm fine," Abby, assured the older woman, "It's just a scratch."

"Do I have to order you down there too?" Jenny sighed, and the Goth smiled, shaking her head. Jenny nodded satisfactorily, setting off after Gibbs at a quick pace despite her heeled boots, and the added girth to her front.

Several hours later, Abby sat with McGee in her lab, after being looked over, and cleared, by Ducky per Jenny's request.

She jumped in her seat as the beep of the computer signaled a DNA match. She and Tim turned to each other, identical expressions of worry and disbelief on their faces.

"Gibbs is not gonna like this," she murmured.

"Like what?" the gruff voice of said man demanded from behind them.

Abby turned to face him with wide eyes, surprised at seeing Jenny standing beside him. "It's," she started, but faltered at the look on his face. "I'll run it again Gibbs," she murmured quietly.

"Yeah you do that," he barked, glaring at the photo on the screen once more before storming from the room, making the Goth flinch involuntarily.

"There's no need to run it again Abby," Jenny murmured quietly, "We know it's him. Just…do it though. Okay?" she said, before making her exit as well.

Abby turned to Tim, and sighed, the both of them then turning to face on the screen, but more importantly, the name blinking beneath it. 'Jorge Rodriguez.'

**A/n: EEEEEE! Lol you didn't think I would leave that little loose end untied did you? He's showing his ugly face again(well not really but you know what I mean), and Gibbs is well, he's pissed, and rightfully so. What happened to not resurfacing Jenny?**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/n: Aww thanx for the reviews guys! *smiley face* :) So this chapter is going to have some more light hearted moments mixed in with the little snippets of drama and such lol. Aaaand...there is some significant McAbby!...**

"Jethro," Jenny cautioned as they walked through the door, "Jethro. Don't get upset."

"Over what Jen?" he demanded, his voice rising, "What? That some guy is coming after my family because I killed his dirt bag father."

"Keep your voice down," she hissed, looking to the stairs in reminder of their sleeping children, as well as Noemi, who was probably trying to ignore the argument; they were regrettably commonplace in their household.

"Don't tell me not to get upset Jen," he growled, lowering his voice as requested, though none of the anger left his tone.

"We'll eat, and then we'll talk about it," she said softly, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She knew he would not resist making a jibe at food constantly being in her mind.

Sure enough, he scoffed, and laughed. "Even in the middle of something like this, you're thinking about eating."

"I smell spaghetti Jethro," she defended, as if it were the most plausible thing in the world, though the soft smile on her lips, gave way to her teasing intentions. She grinned, and spun on her heel, heading for the kitchen.

She dropped into one of the kitchen chairs, and bent over to remove her shoes, only to find that it took a great effort to do so, and she was already exhausted. She glared at the offending shoe, and looked to the back of the man in her kitchen, grinning broadly. "Jethro," she called softly, smiling coyly.

"Yeah?" he replied, looking up from his place at the stove, where he was spooning noodles into two bowls. He took in the smile on her face, and rolled his eyes, before crossing the room. He took a seat in the chair next to her, and pulled each leg up onto his lap, removing the grey pumps from her feet. He had no idea why she continued to wear the god-awful contraptions.

"Thank you," she said, softly, smiling at the silver haired man across from her.

He grunted in acknowledgement, pushing her legs off of his lap, and moved to his feet, before helping her up as well.

While they waited for their food to heat in the microwave, Jenny leaned against the counter, rolling her neck to the side. She jumped, her eyes shooting open as Gibbs seemingly appeared out of nowhere, placing his hands at her waist. "Jethro!" she hissed in warning, swatting his hands away as he played with the tie on her grey sweater dress. "Noemi is still upstairs."

"We should give her the week off again," he mumbled against her lips, and she laughed into the kiss.

They jumped apart at the ding of the microwave, and caught sight of a blushing Noemi in the doorway. "I was just coming to make sure you were eating before I left Señora. The babies are asleep. They have already been fed and bathed."

"Thank you Noemi," Jenny smiled, thanking the young woman, leaning back against Gibbs' chest.

Noemi nodded with a smile, and a, "Good night Señora. Señor Gibbs."

Hearing the door shut, Jenny laughed, walking to the microwave. She yelped in shock and pain, the bowl clattering back to the glass turntable. Gibbs was by her side in an instant, but laughed at seeing her holding her scolded finger.

"Shut up Jethro. It's not funny," she insisted, smacking him in the chest with her good hand.

He just chuckled, grabbing a towel from the counter, and picked up the food, setting it on the counter, and placed the second bowl in the microwave. "You alright Jen?" he asked, though it was clear he was merely humoring her.

"No," she replied, her bottom lip starting to quiver.

He looked at her horrified, as her eyes started to water, and tears fell to her cheeks. "Jenny?" he asked. This was not like her. He was not entirely sure how to handle _Jenny_ breaking down into tears.

She shook her head, trying to keep her sobs under control, but it was to no avail, and she leaned over the counter, sobs wracking her body.

"Jenny come on," he sighed, "What's the matter? What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," she sobbed, "Nothing. Just heat the food please?" she whispered, turning to leave the kitchen.

He sighed, and tossed the pasta in the microwave before taking off after her.

He found her in their bathroom, cleaning her face. She seemed to have calmed down some, and he risked speaking. "Jen? You alright?"

She turned to him smiling somewhat abashedly. "Yeah," she sighed softly, "I'm okay." She then rested a hand over her face, and chuckled softly; that soon turned into a full blown laugh, and she shook her head looking to the silver haired man standing in their bedroom.

He joined in laughing with her, and crossed the room, grabbing her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, and cut him off before he could say anything, "And don't tell me sign of weakness. I don't know what happened," she muttered.

"Hormones," he mumbled, and she glared.

After they had eaten, Jenny helped Gibbs clean up the kitchen. As she dried the last plate, placing it in the cabinet above her head, she looked to Gibbs, hoping he had forgotten about the conversation they had started when they first arrived home.

The shrill ringing of his phone echoed throughout the kitchen, and he flipped it open, answering with a gruff, "Gibbs."

She watched in concern as his face hardened, and he walked from the room without a word. "What?" she heard him hiss from the living room, and she hung the towel over the dish rack, before following behind him. She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her belly while she waited, growing more anxious every minute.

He slammed his phone shut, and pitched it across the room with an angry howl. She jumped involuntarily at his outburst, and when she spoke it was soft. "What is it?" she asked, and he was across the room so fast she hardly had time to see him coming.

"He's gone again," he spat, their faces so close their noses were almost touching; she could see the maniacal glean in his eye. "Dinozzo said he just came to mess with us, and he left!"

"Jethro," she started, but he cut her off. But when he spoke, it was almost like he had not even heard her in the first place; like he was not really talking to her anyway.

"He isn't gonna get away this time," he muttered, and she cut across him, elevating her voice to make herself heard.

"Let someone else do it Jethro," she demanded, and he stopped his harried pacing, turning back to her.

"Somebody else?" he scoffed. "And who do you goddamn suggest Jenny?" he yelled.

"Let Fornell do it. Anyone else," she suggested, and then added as an afterthought, "And keep your damn voice down Jethro. Jesus! There are children sleeping upstairs."

"You think I don't know that Jen?" he growled, in her face again. "That's why _somebody else_ is not going after him. He's not getting away. So he can come back when it's convenient for him, and terrorize _my _family? No."

"Jethro," she tried to reason, though her face was starting showcase a slight tremor. "Jethro, you are needed _here_," she insisted. She then said something, more as a last resort than anything. "Jethro, _I _need you here."

"Jenny do you think he'll stop? He won't. It's not just me he wants. Think about your mom, your sister, Eric, their kids. Jen he knows what they mean to you, and what you mean to me. He knows what you, and this baby mean to me. I killed his family, because his family killed mine. He never got anyone to fill what was missing. I did. He's out for blood. He's got nothing else to live for."

"Let _someone else _do it," she whispered, her voice pleading.

"Can't Jen," he muttered, and turned on his heel.

"Jethro," she called, "If you walk out that door, don't come back." That stopped him in his tracks. She didn't mean it, but she needed something to make him listen.

"Jenny," he growled, striding back across the room towards her.

"Jethro, at least sleep on it. Please?" she pleaded, "Jethro do not leave. Not again."

That struck a nerve. She saw his expression visibly soften, and wanted to sigh in relief. She only hoped it was enough. She closed her eyes, grabbing his face in her hands, and placed a soft kiss to his lips.; she kissed him again, and he tangled his hands in her long hair. It finally reached her back again. He liked that.

She moaned against his mouth as her back pressed against the wall, and he loosened the tie on her dress. He lifted her off her feet, and into his arms.

"Jethro!" she shrieked, "Put me down! Jethro you're going to drop me," she insisted.

He ignored her request, and instead said, "Jen you don't normally weigh more than a buck twenty, and you only gained about twenty pounds. I carried two-hundred pound guys much further than our bed. Trust me, you're light as a feather."

She rolled her eyes, and laughed as he kicked their bedroom door shut behind him.

Abby and McGee walked up the stairs to their respective apartments, Abby in front, McGee holding up the rear. They walked in silence, neither one having the courage to speak about what had happened that day.

As they reached the fork between their two apartments, Abby smiled softly, turning to unlock her door. She moved to push the door open, but was stilled by Tim's hand on her arm. She eyed him with question in her eyes, and he sighed heavily. "Abby if something would've happened to you today. I…" he faltered, unable to find the words to express what he was feeling; not entirely sure that he wanted to, that he should.

"You would've what Tim?" she prompted, playing with the keys in her hands. He looked at her, his internal struggle evident on his face. Finally, he threw all logic out the window, and pressed his lips against hers.

Her eyes shot open in shock; she had not been expecting that, but soon fluttered closed, and she smiled against his lips, pulling him into the apartment with her.

Ziva and Tony stepped through the door to their apartment, exhaustion on their faces. They had been the last to leave; both of them, despite Tony's insistence that she leave much earlier.

As they got into bed that night, Ziva cuddled into Tony's chest, and proposed something she had been thinking of for quite some time. "Tony, do you think that maybe we should look at something bigger? To live in I mean. The baby will need more room than what we have here."

He smiled, catching wind of her underlying message. "You want to buy a house Ziva?"

"I do not know. But we should probably start looking. Regardless of what we decide, we cannot stay here. When I moved here, it was for me alone. It is only one bedroom Tony."

"Yeah. I think a bigger place might be a good idea," he agreed. "Are you sure you're ready for this Ziva?" he asked. He knew that the idea of starting a family scared her, and he did not want her to feel that this was something she _had_ to do, or have her run because she was not ready.

"I would not have suggested it otherwise Tony," she snipped teasingly.

The next morning, Jenny woke, rolling over in search of the familiar warm body that was usually there. Instead, she was met by cold sheets. She sat up, knitting her brows in confusion, and wrapping the sheets around herself, listened for any signs of him in the house. She was met only by silence; aside from the hum of the air conditioning, there was nothing.

Her stomach dropped as she caught sight of the starch white paper, lying where his head normally would. She snatched the envelope from its place, and fingered the flap. In a bout of courage she snatched the contents from the envelope, squinting at seeing an application for leave from work. She set the form aside, grabbing the other object from then envelope, a tri folded piece of white paper.

She threw it down, not bothering to read the entire thing, simply scoffing at the words at the tope of the paper. _Dear Jen. _

How ironic.

**A/n: I hope you liked it guys! I really do! Reviews make me smile. Knowing that my efforts don't go to waste, and that my writing attempt are well liked make me very happy :)**

**S/n: OMG! Zumba is seriously fun. My mom brought me along tonight. There was this little old lady in the class and she was gettin it too. I was like oh!Get it! Lol I felt so bad. I was in a room full of women, who were, the majority anyway, 40 or 45, then there was the old lady, and some college girls, but they were all like "oh! This is fun! I'm pumped!" and I was like "Oh my god! This is fun! But O my god! This is ridiculous!" **

**My face was red and everything. My mother thought it was funny.**

**Okay sorry for my ramble of the day, I've been feeling the need to just tell that to everybody that today lolz. Idk why... okay really now... Toodles luvvies! :)**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/n: Thanks for reviewing you guys *smiles* ladybugsmomma, Prettycrazy, jcena'sgirl557744, Liraeyn, JET1967, Fiva4Tiva, Prettycrazy, Tempe4Booth, and jessey, really THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! :) You guys are trhe best! *hearts***

Jenny groaned as the first rays of daylight peeked through the space in her curtains, landing on her face. She rolled out of bed, running a hand through her tangled mass of red curls. Grabbing her black robe from its place in the rocking chair by her bed, and rubbing her eyes, she headed for the bathroom. She started the shower, and peeked at the clock on her bedside table, 0900. Noemi would not be in for another hour, but it was possible that the twins would be awake by then. In fact, she was sure they would be. It surprised her that Leilah had not woken her yet. Perhaps she was choosing to behave this morning.

Jenny padded down the hall to the nursery, and pushed the door open quietly, in case her suspicions were wrong, and the babies were still sleeping. But sure enough, Leilah was on her knees in her crib, her fingers wrapped around the slats of her crib, and she shrieked in delighted laughter at seeing her mother's face. "Ema!" she cried gleefully, pulling herself to a standing position in the crib.

"Hello honey," Jenny cooed, crossing the room, and groaned, lifting her daughter out of her crib. "Hello my big girl. Do you know how old you are today?"

Leilah looked at her mother with her piercing blue eyes that reminded the older red head so much of the girl's father, and shook her head, her red curls dancing on her shoulders. Jenny held up her index finger, and her daughter almost immediately mirrored her. "One year old!" Jenny gasped, tickling the little girl's tummy, sending the child into a fit of giggles. "One whole year! Oh you're so old!" She then, moved across the width of the room, lifting her son from his crib as well. "Do you know how old you are?" she asked, and the little boy, having been watching his mother and sister, held up one finger. He did so more because he realized what a reaction it elicited from his mother, more so than actually knowing the answer to her question, but nonetheless, he received the reaction he wanted. "Yes smart boy," Jenny praised, "You're one too."

She carried the children the short distance to her bedroom, and placed them in their play yards. After assuring herself that they were safe and content with their respective stuffed animals, she stepped into the shower, though she left the door open, so as to hear any problems that might arise. Once she had showered quickly, she grabbed a large, fluffy, blue towel from the closet, and quickly dried herself off before sliding her robe over her arms, and tied it at the waist. She smiled softly at her children, and grabbed the remote to her media player from her bed, hitting play.

She made her way to her dresser, laughing as 'She's A Bad Mama Jama,' by Carl Carlton started playing. Searching in vain for a decent set of bra and underwear, she was startled by a shriek from behind her, and spun around, thinking something was wrong. She laughed, however, at seeing her daughter bouncing and clapping, albeit off rhythm in her play yard. "You would like this song," Jenny teased the small child, and then turned to her son, who had joined in on his sister's antics. "You too?" she laughed.

At 1000 sharp, Noemi entered the Shepard house. Hearing giggles from the kitchen, she made her way through the living room, stopping in the doorway. Her boss was feeding the twins what looked like oatmeal and bananas. "Good morning Noemi," the redhead greeted with a smile, noticing the Latina in the doorway.

"Good morning Señora," Noemi replied, returning the smile. "I have presents for them, but I will wait until later."

"Pesent," Jacob repeated, though he was not really worried with the meaning of the word. He was simply mimicking his nanny; his mother looked at him, though she stopped feeding him, and he was having none of that. He banged on the tray of his high chair, and Jenny laughed.

"Okay," she conceded, feeding him another spoonful of the oatmeal. She then turned to her housekeeper smiling gratefully, while she fed her daughter as well. "You really didn't have to Noemi."

"Oh but it is their birthday Señora."

"Will you stay for their party instead of leaving at one like you normally do on the Saturdays?" she asked, and the younger woman nodded, smiling softly.

"Si Señora. I will stay to help if you like."

"No," Jenny laughed, realizing she had been misunderstood, "Not working Noemi. Just stay. Unless you have something else to do?" She did not want to keep the girl from something if she had other plans. "I can't believe I didn't ask you before."

"Oh no. But I do not know what I would wear."

"Well," Jenny started, wiping the food from her son's mouth, pulling a face at him. He shrieked in laughter, and she grinned, before turning back to the woman in her kitchen. "You're about my normal size I think. A four? You can wear something of mine if you like." she offered.

Noemi smiled gratefully. "Thank you Señora," she thanked the older woman gratefully.

Jenny smiled I acknowledgement , and lifted her son out of his chair, sitting him on her lap. "Could you get Leilah for me?" she asked, moving to her feet.

"Si. I will take Jacob too. You must need to get things ready."

Jenny nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thank you."

Several hours later, Jenny stood in front of a strawberry cake, the twins' favorite, that Noemi had made, wearing a black romper, silver sandals on her feet, and a birthday hat on her head. A twin on either hip, she leaned over, helping them to blow out their candles. Everyone clapped, and Jenny laughed as the twins followed suit. "Okay, let's open presents huh?"

Five minutes later, everyone sat in Jenny's living room gathered around her and the twins, a pile of presents in front of them. Leilah crawled forward, reaching for a large, rectangular box wrapped in 'Happy Birthday!' paper, marked for both twins, from their aunt. She fumbled with the paper, eyeing it intently, until her mother, gently slid it from her hands, pulling the paper off, to reveal a Fisher-Price Animal Sounds Farm. Jenny pulled the toy from its box, setting it out for the twins to experiment with. "Look!" Jenny cooed, squeezing the cow so that it mooed.

"Oooh," Leilah squealed in awe an delight, taking the animal from her mother, squeezing it. She shrieked in delight when the cow mooed again. Jacob took the pig, giggling when it squealed.

"Say thank you Auntie Hevy," Jenny prompted, "Thank you." They were too absorbed in their toy to be paying much attention to her though. She snorted and grabbed two larger boxes, appearing to be identical. After going through all of the presents; two walker wagons, a multitude of books, two sets of blocks, clothes, shape puzzles, a keyboard, a rag doll and a toy phone for Leilah, a set of toy trucks for Jacob, and even two sets of tennis balls for the both of them; Jenny handed the twins to Ziva, announcing softly that she would be back.

Several minutes later, the hum of chatter filled the room while the twins played contentedly with their gifts. Jenny was noticed first by Ziva, who smiled, and grabbing Leilah and Jacob's attention, pointed in her direction. Both children's eyes immediately lit up, and they bounced happily on the floor. "Doggie!" Leilah shrieked gleefully, grabbing everyone's attention. All eyes turned to Jenny as she made her way back into the living room, a tan puppy with black ears, and blue eyes, in her arms. Both twins had been practically begging her for a dog for at least the past two months. She knew that she would be the one to primarily care for the dog for at least the next four years, but seeing the smiles on their faces would pacify her for now.

"Hi doggie!" Leilah cooed, petting the puppy just a little to hard.

"Be careful honey," Jenny, cautioned, "Like this," she demonstrated, stroking the puppy's fur.

"They called her Peanut Butter Oreo, but we can just call her Oreo."

"Owo" Jacob tried, looking to his mother for approval.

"Good honey," she praised, smiling, and the little boy grinned, petting the dog.

Later that night, after the twins had been put to bed, and the puppy in his crate in the den, Jenny changed into one of Jethro's old dress shirts, and pulled her hair into sloppy bun on top of her head, tying a silk scarf around her head as a headband. She grabbed falling streamers from the banisters as she descended the stairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs though, she slowed. Something was off. She looked around suspiciously, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Cautiously, she continued through the house, and for some reason was drawn to her study. She stopped in her tracks, her face darkening at the man in her house. "Where have you been?" she growled.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Tony cheered, watching the Giants' quarterback run down the field, dodging tackles left and right. "Oh yeah!" he cheered, jumping out of bed.

He looked back to Ziva, to see her looking up at him from her book, eyeing him in irritation. "Must you be so loud Tony?" she sighed.

"It's the Giants Zi," he defended weakly, and she rolled her eyes.

"I do not know why you call it _foot_ball when you do not use your _feet_."

"We use our feet…I mean sometimes. Yeah, we use our feet."

"Abby?" Tim called as he stepped into his apartment.

"What?" she growled, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and he winced internally. She had murder in her eyes. If he had mixed up her request even the slightest bit, he was dead.

"I um…I got what you wanted," he said, holding a plastic drugstore bag out to her. She snatched it out of his hand, inspecting the contents. She seemed to have been satisfied, and he sighed in relief, until her face darkened, and he tensed once more.

"Where's my chocolate Tim?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," he remembered, pulling the candy bar from his pocket. He had put it there when he had entered the other store.

She took the smaller bag from him, pulling the Kit-Kat bar from the bag, and peeled the wrapper back. He waited in anticipation, and groaned internally when she glared at him. "It's melted," she announced, in a deadpan. "You gave me melted chocolate Tim!" she shrieked, disgusted.

"I'm sorry Abby, I just, I put it there when I went into the other store, and I just forgot. Look I'll go buy you another one okay?"

"No," she insisted, "No Tim! I don't want another one. I _wanted _this one." She turned on her heel, heading in the direction of his bedroom, but stopped at the door, turning back to him. "There is one week out of the month Tim! Not even a week! It's like, four days, that you don't mess with Abby. That's my new rule. Abby rule number thirty, Do not mess with Abby on the days of the fifteenth through the nineteenth every month!" she screamed, ending her rant, and slammed the door so hard the house shook.

He sighed heavily, dropping to the couch. He had the feeling he would be sleeping there anyway.

Jenny glared at the silver haired man sitting in her study, an infuriatingly unapologetic look on his face, and spat her query once more. "Jethro where the _hell _have you been?"

"Where do you think I went Jen?" he grumbled, and something in her snapped. She had had a long day; a good day, but nonetheless, a long one. She was not in the mood for snippy replies. She wanted the truth.

"I don't know Jethro! Why don't you tell me! Do you think I would be asking if I had any _goddamn _idea where you've been for three goddamn weeks? I woke up, to cold sheets, some half assed explanation letter, and a leave-time application. So you know, I don't care where you _think_ I _wanted _you to be. You obviously don't have that right," she spat all in one rush of breath, though she managed to have venom drip from every word. "So don't beat around the _fucking _bush. Tell me the truth. Where did you go?" she demanded.

He looked at her, shocked for a moment, before he answered. "Mexico."

"Mexico?" she scoffed, "Of course."

"Jethro," she sighed wearily in a mix of utter disbelief, and pure unadulterated fury. "Jethro what the hell is the matter with you? Jethro you _missed_ your children's first birthday. What does that tell you?"

"No," he contradicted her fiercely, shooting to his feet. "I may have missed the party Jen, but I did _not_ miss their birthday. I made damn sure I was back for that."

"It doesn't matter Jethro. They won't know that you were here on their birthday. They're asleep. Do you know how many times over these past three weeks they've been asking me where their father is? And I couldn't tell them. I had to tell them, 'mommy doesn't know,' because _you_ couldn't manage to do me the courtesy of telling me _that._"

"Jesus Jen! I didn't want to stress you out. You're thirty-five weeks pregnant. You were at thirty-two when I left."

"You didn't want to _stress me out_?" she spat in disbelief. "Jethro. Did you not think that not knowing where you were. If you were dead. Hurt. Or just never coming back at all, was going to stress me out?" she shrieked.

"Dammit Jenny! I did what I did to keep you safe. Keep them safe!"

"You sure did a hell of a job," she muttered.

"I got him didn't I?"

"Is that supposed to make me happy? You've killed two men now Jethro. In cold blood. Do you honestly think Shannon would have been happy eitherto know that you abandoned your life to _murder_, her and Kelly's killer? Jethro you are no better than he is."

"I am nothing like him," he spat, but she cut him off.

"Jethro! He came after you because you killed his father. His family. You did the same! Not to mention! You abandoned the family that supposedly means so much to you to track him down! Jethro I _begged_ you not to go after him! You-" she stopped, her face instantly showcasing the fear she felt. "Jethro," she whispered.

"What?" he spat, spinning to face her, his eyes full of fire. But his face soon softened at the expression on hers. That soon morphed into concern at the fright in her eyes. "Jenny what is it?"

"I think my water just broke," she choked.

**A/n: Oh snap! Lol. Hope you liked it guys. I had to switch up Jenny's pregnancy timeline a little for those of you who caught it. So I'm sorry. But still, I really hope you liked it! I'm planning on the chapter after this one being the last before I start the next, and most likely the last, installment for this little trilogy. Kay! Thanks for reading guys! :)**

**S/n: To jessey, I can't reply to you via PM, soooo, yes I know Pedro Hernandez was Snannon and Kelly's killer, but if you've read the story from the beginning, cuuz some people don't lol, about half way through, Jorge Rodriguez was introduced as Pedro Hernandez's son. He was the kidnapper that got away. Sorry if I confused you! Thanks for reading and reviewing though! :)**

**Monkeys :)**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/n: Last chapter guys! For this story anyway! I'll have the last installment started and posted by the end of this week though at the latest, PROMISE! Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read and review guys! Your reviews make me feel that posting is worth while haha. :D **

**Enjoy! :)**

"You doin' alright?" Gibbs asked, cutting his glance to Jenny in the passenger's seat.

"Fine," she bit out, though it was quite clear that she was not fine. She was gripping the door handle so hard her knuckles were turning white. She visibly exhaled in relief as the contraction passed, and she allowed her head to fall back against the head rest. "Jethro," she sighed, "What if something's wrong? I'm barely thirty-five weeks. That's five weeks early. What if she can't breathe on her own, or-"

He cut her off, "Almost thirty-six," he reasoned, "Jenny, calm down. She'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

**~1 Hour in Labor~**

Forty minutes later, Jenny lay in a hospital bed, in the maternity ward, clad in no more than the commissioned, flimsy hospital gown. She groaned as another contraction wracked her body. "Son of a bitch!" she breathed.

Gibbs held his hand out for her to take, all thoughts of their argument that had taken place not one hour ago, gone from their minds. She took his hand, squeezing it in a vice like grip. "Jesus," she muttered, "The twins were not this bad, and there were two of them."

He chuckled, rubbing his thumb over her hand. Her doctor, and friend, Aiko, entered the room.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling sympathetically. Being a mother of three, she knew _exactly _what her friend was going through. "How are we doing?"

Jenny exhaled as the contraction passed, and looked to the Asian woman in front of her. "Fine," she sighed.

"Mmm," Aiko murmured, smiling. That was her answer for everything. "Well let's see how your little girl is doing huh?" Jenny nodded, and the doctot pushed her gown up, squirting the gel over her abdomen. The redhead was glad for the fact that it had been warmed. Her doctor ran the ultrasound wand over her belly. "Well," she started, looking over the picture as it moved on the screen, "She looks perfectly healthy. Good heartbeat." she deduced. "Everything looks fine Jenny," she assured the other woman. "There's really no need to worry to much. Babies are considered full term at thirty seven weeks. You're nearly at thirty six. I think she's got just as good a chance as any baby born completely full term." She checked her cervix, announcing, "You're still only at about four centimeters."

"What does that mean?" Jenny asked, crushing Jethro's hand once again as another contraction hit her. His eyes widened at the strength she seemed to have so suddenly acquired.

"You're almost halfway there . You need to be ten before you can push."

Jenny groaned, at that, her head falling back against the pillows. "Jethro you're a bastard," she muttered.

"So I'm told," he quipped back smartly, and she laughed. Dr. Kee laughed with her friend, but then turned to the red head.

"Do you want the epidural?" she asked, and Jenny shook her head.

"I am not pushing anything for three hours," she muttered.

Dr. Kee smiled, and nodded. "We can get you some painkillers though that aren't so strong if it gets too bad.

**~5 Hours in Labor~**

Jenny moaned, rolling on her side as the her contractions hit her one after another, each one more painful than the last. "You're doin' good Jenny," Gibbs soothed, though his efforts backfired.

"Good?" she shrieked, "Do I _look _I'm doing good to you Jethro?" She yanked her hand out of his, grabbing him by his collar instead. "Go sign yourself up for a goddamn vasectomy because I am _not _doing this again! Do you understand me?" At that moment one of Jenny's nurses walked in, a middle aged woman named Paula, with tawny blonde hair, pulled into a ponytail, a kind face, and a generous figure. "What?" Jenny growled, and he nurse's eyes shot up, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Would you sign him up for his goddamn vasectomy?" Jenny demanded, and Paula laughed.

"Don't worry honey. I've gone through this five times myself, and said the same thing every time."

Jenny exhaled as her contraction seemed to ease, and she then turned to her nurse asking, "How old are they?"

Jethro cocked a brow at her sudden change in behavior, but Paula simply smiled. After twenty years as a nurse in the maternity ward, there was little she had not seen. "My oldest, Jessica, is twenty five," she replied, checking the red head's vitals. "She just got her master's in Education. My oldest boy, Will, is twenty-two. He's in the Army. Then there's Amy. She's eighteen. Senior in high school. She's planning on being a nurse like me," she continued, a sense of pride on her face. "And Allison is fourteen. Just started high school, all into fashion. Then my youngest is twelve. Josh. He's our little math whiz. No problem you can give him he can't solve."

Jenny smiled, but it was quickly wiped from her face as another contraction hit her, this one the most painful of all. She cried out in pain, no doubt crushing her lover's hand in hers, and then turned to her nurse. "Five times? You did this five times? Are you stupid?"

It was then that the shrill ringing of a phone echoed through the room over Jenny's screams, and Gibbs looked to her, before choosing to ignore it. He was breaking one of his rules, but he was sure _she _would break far more than rules if he didn't.

"Answer it," she growled, glaring at the offending object on the table.

He snatched the Blackberry off of the table, answering it with a gruff, and irritated, "Gibbs."

"_Boss?" Tony queried, surprised to hear the older man's voice. He had neither been heard from nor seen for three weeks._

"No Dinozzo," Gibbs barked sarcastically.

Jenny heard the name, and her eyes narrowed to slits. "Give it to me," she demanded, and Gibbs reluctantly placed the phone in her hands. She snatched it to her ear. "Dinozzo do not call me! Or text me! Or try contacting me whatsoever! Do I make myself understood!" she shrieked, but ended the call, before she could receive an answer, throwing it back onto the table, where it landed, sliding to a stop mere millimeters from the edge.

**~8 Hours in Labor~**

Jenny's pain filled screams filled the air, over her doctor's instructions to push.

"Push Jenny," Dr. Kee instructed, "You're doing great. Come on, push."

"I am pushing!" Jenny barked, though she did as she was told while her doctor counted to ten.

Finally, after ten minutes, Dr. Kee announced joyfully, "Her head is out. Just a few more Jenny. Come on."

Jenny groaned, her red curls sticking to her face with perspiration. Two pushes later, her daughter's shrill cries filled the room, and Jenny fell back into the pillows, her breathing labored.

Jethro cut the cord, and the nurses whisked the baby away to be cleaned and weighed, while Aiko came up to her friend. "You did good Jenny. Really," she laughed.

Jenny smiled weakly as the Asian woman walked away to assist with the baby. Gibbs ran his right hand over Jenny's hair, smoothing back the curls sticking to her face, as his left was wrapped in a cast. Jenny had, in fact, broken it.

Across the room, they heard one of the nurses yell, "Eight pounds, two ounces."

Jenny turned to look at the silver haired man next to her, identical expressions of shock on their faces. "What did they say?" she whispered.

"Eight pounds. Two ounces."

She had heard right. "But she's five weeks early," Jenny breathed in disbelief. She did not want to think about what her weight could have been. She was only supposed to weigh seven pounds, give or take a few ounces; and that was at full term.

Jenny smiled though, as her nurse walked across the room, handing the baby girl to her, who seemed to have been calmed some. She eased the newborn into the red head's arms, with a smile. "She's gorgeous," she praised, as Jenny took her daughter in her arms.

"Thank you," she murmured distractedly. She had eyes only for her daughter. She had her father's tanned coloring, as well as his dark hair, but she had her mother's curls; and her eyes were a perfect mix of he two, predominantly ice blue, like her father's, but she had starbursts of her mother's green as well. "She looks like you Jethro," she murmured, stroking the baby's cheek.

"Looks just like Kelly," he murmured, and Jenny's head shot up, searching for the pain she expected to find in his eyes; instead, she found only love for the baby in her arms. She smiled softly, allowing her gaze to fall back to her daughter.

**~ 3 Hours old~**

Gibbs looked over to the sleeping red head in the hospital bed, her curls splayed out on the pillow beneath her head. He held, their daughter in his arms, pacing the room with her while her mother slept.

When Ava fell asleep, he placed the baby back in her basinet at her mother's side before pulling out his phone, dialing a familiar number. After three rings, he was answered by a soft voice, _"Hello."_

"Heather."

_Her tone instantly changed to one of panic, and she started asking questions at rapid fire. "Jethro? How is she? How's the baby? Is everything all right?"_

He chuckled softly so as not to wake Jenny or the baby. "They're fine. Both of them. She came out a little over eight pounds. Twenty inches long."

"_Eight pounds?" she breathed in disbelief. Did they get the due date wrong?"_

"No. She's just a big baby."

_Heather laughed before speaking, and the smile could be heard in her voice. "I know she's beautiful. Is she up for visitors?" she asked, referring to her sister._

"She's asleep," he replied, "but the kids might want to see the baby."

"_Yeah," she agreed, "I'll bring them by in a few hours one they wake up."_

"Alright. See you then."

**~8 Hours old~**

Jenny sat up in bed, having just finished nursing her daughter, when she was startled by a knock at the door. She looked up, and smiled to see her sister entering the room, followed by the twins. Their eyes lit up at seeing their mother, and hey both ran to her, but stopped, staring curiously at the bundle in her arms.

Heather lifted them onto the bed, and they crawled to their mother, peering curiously still at the bundle in her arms. "This is your baby sister, Ava," Jenny explained.

Leilah looked to her mother, and back to her sister, and back to her mother again, before pointing to Ava, and saying, "Baby."

"Yes honey." Jenny smiled.

"My baby?" she asked, and Jenny laughed.

"Ava is mommy and daddy's baby, just like you're our baby, and Jacob is our baby. But Ava is a little baby."

The little girl said nothing, and it was unclear whether she understood or not. She crawled closer, poking the baby's face gently, while Jacob watched from behind his sister, his expression still somewhat skeptical. Finally, he crawled forward as well, peering at the sleeping baby in his mother's arms.

"Hi doggie," he waved, his words garbled in the customary fashion of a one year old child, petting her head as he had his puppy only yesterday, and Jenny had to stifle a laugh.

"No honey. Ava is a baby like you," she tried to explain once more. Even all the months of trying to prepare them for the new baby, and they still did not completely understand.

After the family of four had been left alone for a few hours to bond with the new baby, Heather peeked her head back in, smiling. "What do you say to a few more visitors?" she asked, but the twinkle in her eye, hinted Jenny she was up to something.

"Fine," she agreed, skeptically, her smile suspicious. Sure enough, Heather stepped aside, and Jenny's nieces and nephews, followed by Gibbs' entire team, as well as Ducky and Abby, then Eric, Angela, her husband, and their kids, all piled in, toting gifts.

Jenny laughed, as her nieces and nephew rushed toward her, first Alana, Isabella, and Austin, then Jackson taking up the rear. "I wanna see the baby," Isabella shrieked, letting the balloon she had entered with float out of her grasp.

"Izzy, you have to be quiet," Jenny scolded, "She's sleeping."

"Sorry," Isabella whispered, inching closer to her aunt.

"What's her name Aunt Jenny?" Alana asked from beside her sister.

"Ava Kelly," the older red head replied, smiling at the little girl.

"Pretty," Alana giggled, tapping the baby gently on her nose.

Two days later, Gibbs pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Jenny's list of things in his head. She and Ava were being released from the hospital in several hours and she had sent him home to get some things for her. He intended to stop by his house first though, and make a few calls.

As he drove down the streets of Washington, what with all that happened, he could not help but flash back twenty-two years, Kelly and Shannon on his mind. He chuckled, shaking his head, as he stepped out of his car, keys in hand.

He slid his key into the lock, pushing his front door open. He stopped in his tracks though at what he found, his face draining of all its color. "Shannon?" he choked.

The woman on his steps stood with a nervous laugh. "I see all those years of me locking the door behind us never made much of an impact." She paused, staring at the shocked man in the doorway. His hair was now more salt than pepper, and the years had contributed a few more lines here and there; but he was still Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "It's been a long time Jethro."

**A/n: Cruel Trickery? Hallucinations? Flashbacks? Guess you'll have to read the last story to find out :D Tehe. Lol it's going to be called ****Hidden Secrets and Broken Promises.**** It's not so depressing as it sounds lol. Thank you so much you guys for everyone who has read this story and/or the last. I hope as many of you will read the next one and enjoy it too! Again, thank you a gazillion bunches! :)**

**ladybugsmomma****, ****Herky Illiniwek****, ****Prettycrazy****, ****Fiva4Tiva****, ****mysterywriter94****, ****paris chica****, jessey, ****Tempe4Booth****, ****JET1967****, ****Liraeyn****, ****jcena'sgirl557744****, ****Tali 101****, ****Aunt Jo****, ****DS2010****, ****Paris-eternellement****, ****NCISGleek****, NCIS87, ****JiBbS-tIvA4eVs****, ****TheBreakfastGenie****, ****theonlyxception****, ****NCISninja12****, ****lachildress****, liongirl15007, ****pirate-princess1****, ****basket-case1880****, Bluemoon909, ****hopesmom****, ****tataalicat****, ****BritMonkey****, ****Lavender Angel-96****, ****Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape****, ****DreamerChild88****, ****Nicky Reid****, ****TIVAaddict23****, ****Jollymonkee5613****, ****sciuto8****, ****Operation Paris****, ****Stormygrl0804****, ****probieprincess****, ****Tony and Ziva forever****, ****crs529****, ****HuddyJibbsAddict****, ****g2lovencis****, ****Butterfly Queen 123456****, muggleninja, ****Paige Joy****, r u ok, ****Broken Piece of the Puzzle****, ****NilesLover101****, ****ShipperGogglesOn****, Kyp, ****Sm1leyFac3s****, ****greeklilly****, ****left my heart in Paris****, and Jesus rox my world, **

**THANK YOU SOO MUCH GUYS FOR READING THE STORY! AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO STUCK WITH ME AND DIDN'T GIVE UP ON ME THROUGH MY LITTLE ROUGH PATCHES OF UPDATING LOL. :)**


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